Amidst the ongoing TATA Indian Premier League 2026 (TATA IPL 2026), a shocking betting scam has come out from Punjab, and it is now getting bigger day by day. Earlier, it looked like a small local activity, but it has now turned into a massive money racket.
Khanna police exposed lakhs of rupees linked to illegal betting during IPL matches. Before the Punjab case, police have taken action in two places in the IPL betting cases. In Neemuch Cantt of Madhya Pradesh, police arrested a man for running an online betting on IPL matches.
In another case, Task Force police in Warangal busted an illegal betting racket in the Mills Colony area. They caught the people involved and seized ₹1.02 lakh cash along with five smartphones used for betting transactions in the Telangana city.
Khanna Police freeze ₹42.3 Lakh in IPL 2026 betting case
Now, as reported by The Tribune, Khanna police have frozen bank accounts holding around ₹42.3 lakh that are suspected to have been earned through illegal betting. Khanna Senior Superintendent of Police Darpan Ahluwalia said that they are checking every small detail of these transactions to find out how the money moved and who else is involved in this betting racket.
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The case gained momentum following the police’s recent bust of an online betting gang, which resulted in the arrest of four individuals on April 12. The accused have been identified as Dinesh Chhabra, Karan Chhabra, Mahinder Singh, and Naresh Kumar, all residents of Khanna.
Khanna police revealed that this group had been running the betting operation for a long time without getting caught. Police recovered ₹44,000 in cash along with 11 mobile phones and one laptop during the raid. These gadgets were being used to handle betting activities, manage accounts, and connect with users placing bets on IPL matches.
IPL betting scam ties cross-border links
As the investigation moved forward, police found that this was not just a local racket. Actually, a man from Khanna, who is currently believed to be hiding in Dubai, is suspected to be the main mastermind behind the entire network. This has made the case international, and agencies are now looking at cross-border links into this IPL betting scam.
The officials revealed that the accused used different bank accounts and online platforms to move and hide money. They attracted people by offering easy ways to bet on IPL matches through international apps, which made tracking them more difficult.
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Now, police are planning to go deeper into the case. SSP Ahluwalia said that bank accounts of family members and close contacts of the accused will also be checked, as there is a strong suspicion that more illegal money could be hidden there.
ED likely to join as Police extend probe into hidden money
It is being said that the big agencies like the Enforcement Directorate are likely to join the investigation soon to track the full money trail.
Police records revealed that the main accused, Dinesh and Naresh, were already involved in gambling-related cases earlier, while others also have criminal backgrounds, which has raised more concerns about how long this network has been active.
In a strong move, police have added a strict legal section under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita in this case. This law is used for organized petty crime, and if the accused are found guilty, they can face up to seven years in jail. This is the first time such a tough section has been used in an IPL betting case in this area.