An alleged key bookie has been arrested in connection with the IPL betting case, taking the number of those held in connection with the case till now to 21, police said today.
Badrinarayan Modi alias Badri Jaipur (38), wanted in the IPL betting case, was caught from Sujangarh district near Jaipur and investigators placed him under arrest after bringing him to the city last evening, a crime branch official said.
Badri was in touch with Pakistani bookies via conference calls, facilitated by one of the arrested accused Ramesh Vyas, the official said, adding that of the 30 lines to Pakistan that were found, nine had been used by him.
"He was using the maximum number of Pakistani lines and was constantly in touch with arrested key bookie Shobhan Mehta and others. He also placed bets during the IPL 6 season," he said.
Badri was today produced before a metropolitan magistrate court, which remanded him in police custody till August 7.
With Badri's arrest, the number of the persons arrested in the case so far has gone up to 21. Those arrested include bookies Ramesh Vyas, Ashok Vyas and Pandurang Kadam, among others.
After Ramesh Vyas's arrest in May, police had recovered 92 mobile phones, 18 SIM cards, a laptop among others things. Thirty of these phones were used to facilitate contacts with bookies in India, Pakistan and Dubai via conference calls by Vyas.
Among these 30 lines, Vyas used to ensure Badri's communication with Pakistan bookies through nine lines via conference calls, police said.
Chennai Super Kings owner Gurunath Meiyappan, who is the son-in-law of N Srinivasan (who had stepped aside as president of the BCCI), and Bollywood actor Vindu Dara Singh were also arrested in the case and they are currently out on bail.
