Congress today alleged that those involved in the 'betting-cum-hawala racket', unearthed by ED in Gujarat during the World Cup Cricket tournament, had "clear linkages" with BJP leaders and police.
Congress leaders from Gujarat, Amee Yajnik and Tom Vadakkan, said at the AICC briefing that the racket, unearthed in March, was involved in betting, hawala transactions and international money laundering and was the biggest in the country with its dealings running into Rs 4,000 crore.
The racket has "clear linkages" with the ruling BJP leaders and the police machinery of the state, they alleged.
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) raid came after the Gujarat government "chose to take no action" despite consistent warning from the Directorate that the state had become "focal point" of the nationwide betting and hawala racket, they claimed.
The ED has discovered that money was being transferred through a website registered in London. For each login to the www.Betfair.Com, 2.5 lakh pounds has been paid. Even at the time of the raid, six logins had been received and Rs 12 crore were in account. They claimed that there were four principal operators in Gujarat in addition to one Sodhi, a London-based operator, and a Delhi-based operator.
Besides, ED has also recovered about 100 mobile phones, 12 laptops and a few lakh rupees in cash from the spot.
Alleging the matter is being "brushed under the carpet" by the BJP government, Yajnik said if the investigation did not proceed on proper lines, the Congress could demand an inquiry by a Sitting SC Judge into the whole matter.
She also wondered as to why the Principal Officer of ED, who conducted the raid, was transferred within 48 hours and repatriated to the parent Department of Central Excise.
To a question on the anti-terror law in Gujarat, Yajnik said the Gujarat Control of Terrorism and Organised Crime (GUCTOC) Bill is mainly to see that all the powers go to the police. Why does the Gujarat government need it when it claims that it has proper law and order situation in the state? she asked.
