In what could create more troubles for Goa's Leader of Opposition Chandrakant Kavlekar, the Goa Crime Branch has linked an FIR lodged against him over suspected links with alleged matka gambling trade, to the anti-gambling investigations launched by the police in 2015.
The crime branch had in 2015 initiated a probe against matka gambling activity in the state after social activist Kashinath Shetye filed a case against it in the same year.
The Bombay High Court at Goa last month ruled against the gambling activity, directing the crime branch to form a Special Investigation Team (SIT).
"The FIR under Goa Gambling Act filed against Kavlekar will now be linked to the main case against the matka (gambling). It will be a part of wider investigation against the gambling in the State," a senior crime branch official told PTI.
Kavlekar, who is facing probe by the Anti-Corruption Bureau in connection with a case of disappropriate asset against him, was also booked under the Goa Gambling Act, after police recovered several hundreds of matka gambling slips from his residence in South Goa's Betul during a search.
The search was conducted last week in connection with the disappropriate asset case.
The crime branch on September 22 questioned Kavlekar for almost one and half hour, for which he had appeared before it after securing an order of interim anticipatory bail, granted by the District and Sessions Court in Margao.
The order restricted the police from arresting him.
"We will be challenging the interim anticipatory bail granted to Kavlekar," the official said.
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