Now, travel agent Ghai booked for running betting rackets
Over the years, suspect has been named in over 100 FIRs
Infamous travel agent Nitish Ghai, who has been named in over 100 FIRs over the years, has now been booked for running betting rackets for various sports.
The latest case was registered by the local police against three suspects, identified as Nitish Ghai, a resident of South City, Mannu Atwal and Pankaj Verma. They were booked for allegedly duping a local businessman on the pretext of placing bets for him, assuring the victim of quick and huge profits.
Previously, Ghai has been in the crosshairs of the police for allegedly duping people aspiring to move abroad.
The complaint in the present case was filed with Commissioner of Police Swapan Sharma, who then ordered an investigation.
The case was registered under Sections 318 (cheating), 112 (petty organised crime) and 351 (criminal intimidation) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), and relevant sections of the Gambling Act and the Information Technology Act.
The complainant, Yogesh Gupta, a resident of Mohala Kuldeep Nagar, Jodhewal, told the police he was depressed due to business losses when he talked to Ghai, who was an acquaintance.
He said Ghai introduced him to Mannu Atwal and Pankaj Verma, alias Panna, who are involved in cricket betting.
He alleged Ghai lured him into betting with assurances of handsome profits.
“I got into the trap and started betting on cricket matches online. Initially, I earned money, but later started losing a lot. I fell into more debt. The trio started threatening me,” he said in the complaint.
Earlier, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) attached multiple properties belonging to Ghai during a money laundering investigation.
Complainant Gupta alleged Ghai was involved in multiple illegal businesses.
According to him, the suspect applies for GST numbers in the name of people from poor families and opens current accounts. The accounts are used to stash money from the betting and other illegal platforms.
“I found out Ghai linked fake accounts with the Mahadev App,” he said.
The Mahadev App, currently facing prosecution, is a fraudulent, Dubai-based online gambling platform that facilitated illegal betting on various games, including poker, cricket, and badminton.
Gupta asserted that the suspect had issued death threats to him and his family members, proof of which was a WhatsApp chat and voice record he possess.
Travel biz still running, says ACP
Assistant Commissioner of Police ACP, Industrial Area-A, Inderjit Singh, said Nitish Ghai continues to run a travel business, albeit sunder someone else’s name, despite the cases and the controversies.
He said Ghai’s name popped up in the investigation of frauds by a local immigration agency.
According to him, the Focal Point police registered two cases under the Immigration Act in February. The police booked several persons running Empower Immigration, near Veer Palace, Mundian Kalan, for allegedly duping residents of Amritsar and Jalandhar on the pretext of sending them abroad.
“During questioning of the accused brought on production warrant, Ghai’s name cropped and was added to both FIRs. Now, raids are being conducted to nab him. It is possible that Ghai is running immigration businesses in other names. Once he is arrested, the police will investigate all angles,” the ACP added.
