Bollywood star Arbaaz Khan summoned by Thane Police in IPL betting scam

Actor Arbaaz Khan has reportedly been summoned by the police in Maharashtra in connection with betting in the Indian Premier League (IPL).

He has been asked to record his statement by the Thane police. His name reportedly came up while the police were innterrogating a bookie, Sonu Jalan, who was arrested on Tuesday.

TV channel Times Now has claimed that Arbaaz was betting on IPL matches and lost Rs 2.8 crore in bets following which he was receiving threats from Jalan.

The anti-extortion cell of the Thane Crime Branch on Tuesday had arrested Sonu Yogendra Jalan, alias Sonu Malad, one of the country’s leading cricket bookies. He was arrested in connection with a betting racket that was busted in Dombivali on May 16.

Jalan is allegedly linked with underworld don Dawood Ibrahim.

Jalan was arrested in Mumbai from Kalyan court when Police was tipped about his presence.

Jalan was arrested from Kalyan on Tuesday evening by the anti-extortion cell for providing software to the five bookies who were arrested in the Dombivali case.

“His software called ‘Bet and Take’ is quite famous among bookies and is used by them in India and internationally as well,” said police inspector Rajkumar Kotmire, of the Thane anti-extortion cell. “His arrest is big, as it will help us unearth the national and international network of bookies,” he added.

On May 16, four bookies – Gautam Savla, Nitin Punjani, Nikhil Sampat, and Khushal Khimji were arrested by the anti-extortion cell during a raid in a shop at Shanti Sadan, Dombivli east. They were caught betting online as well as on their mobile phone during the Indian Premier League match between Mumbai Indians and Kings XI Punjab at Wankhede stadium. This was followed by the arrest of one more bookie Vrajesh Joshi.

According to a report in Financial Express, Jalan had come to the court to meet an arrested accused to get more information about IPL case. The report says that Jalan is associated with many Bollywood celebrities.

Sonu Jalan allegedly had a diary with details of clients and bookies. The police say he worked for a kingpin of cricket betting who goes by the name of “Junior Kolkata”.