Fear of police raid turns tragic: Two gamblers drown in India's Tapi River
Despite ongoing efforts to curb illegal online gambling and betting in India, the activity continues to flourish, sometimes resulting in tragic incidents. In western India’s Surat city, two gamblers died after jumping into the Tapi River in fear, mistakenly believing that an approaching police team was there to raid their gambling activity.
The incident took place in a deserted area of Iqbalnagar near the Tapi River in the Rander region, where the police had come to apprehend Rashid Khan alias Todu Mehboob Pathan, a wanted criminal. According to the Rander surveillance police, they had received intelligence about Khan’s presence in a deserted area near the river. As the police approached the location, six gamblers who were playing nearby panicked, assuming that the officers were there for them.
In an attempt to flee, two of the gamblers—Gulam Nabi Gulam Mohammad Safeda (52) and Mohammad Amin Hotelwala (50)—jumped into the river. The police team, unaware of the gambling activity, witnessed the commotion as people scattered.
Rander police inspector RJ Chaudhary told local media: “Our surveillance team got a tip-off about Rashid Khan’s presence in Iqbalnagar. As our team reached the riverbank, we noticed a commotion and saw people running in different directions. While moving towards the noise, we spotted two men struggling in the river, with only their faces visible above the water. One of them tried to reach out, and our team managed to pull him to safety.”
Realising that the men were stuck in the river’s thick mud, police called for assistance from local fishermen and swimmers. “The river was at high tide and filled with heavy silt. The local fishermen and swimmers used ropes to retrieve Safeda and Hotelwala from the water. Despite administering CPR and attempting to remove water from their lungs, they remained unresponsive. Emergency medical teams arrived promptly and transported them to the civil hospital, where they were declared dead,” Chaudhary added.
Gambling in India
Gambling in India remains controversial, with laws varying from state to state. While most states prohibit gambling, exceptions exist for lottery and horse racing. Goa and Sikkim are the only states where 바카라s are allowed. The serves as the central legislation, prohibiting the operation of “common gaming houses,” although it makes an exception for “games of skill” like rummy.
Online gambling exists in a legal grey area, with most states lacking specific laws against it. However, states like Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu have banned online gaming, betting, and gambling since 2020. While Sikkim allows online betting through licensed operators, the Information Technology Act prohibits sharing information that promotes online gambling.
Despite these prohibitions, illegal gambling is estimated to generate a $60 billion market in India. The online gambling market alone is predicted to have 12.17 million users, with projections for an annual growth rate of 8.5 percent through 2027.
