Panaji – Amid the ongoing T20 World Cup 2026 final between India and New Zealand at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad, reports have surfaced of an estimated ₹10,000-crore illegal betting racket operating across India. The network is allegedly run through high-tech apps and offshore servers.
In Panaji, a vigilant citizen, Shri. Dilip Shetye from Raibandar, has lodged a written complaint with the Panaji Police Commissioner and the Director General of Police. In Nagpur, another vigilant citizen has filed a complaint via email. The Hindu Janajagruti Samiti has extended open support to these complaints and demands a high-level probe by a Special Investigation Team (SIT).
#T20WorldCup2026final : ₹10,000 Cr Betting Scandal ! @SurajyaAbhiyan backs citizen complaints filed in Goa & Nagpur. We demand an immediate SIT probe & “Surgical Strike” on bookie hubs to save India’s image! @CMOMaharashtra @DGPMaharashtra @nagpurpolice @GoaPolice @HMOIndia pic.twitter.com/5M0p3Byu5X
— Surajya Abhiyan (@SurajyaAbhiyan) March 8, 2026
Several prominent newspapers have published reports on this alleged betting network. Authorities, including the police and administration, should have taken suo-motu note of these reports and acted swiftly. ‘Surajya Abhiyan’ has stated that such large-scale illegal betting is damaging India’s international image and raising questions about the credibility of Indian cricket. Betting and gambling related to cricket are typically run by identifiable key players, and investigative agencies are aware of these actors.
In this context, ‘Surajya Abhiyan’ has urged authorities to immediately contact the concerned media outlets whose reports formed the basis of this information, verify the sources, and dismantle the control centres of the betting syndicates. It has also called for any amounts seized from such operations to be directed towards public-interest schemes.
The Centre-approved ‘Online Gaming Act 2025’ treats illegal betting and any assistance to it as a non-bailable offence, and enforcement must strictly follow this law. ‘Surajya Abhiyan’ has demanded that the Enforcement Directorate (ED) and cyber-crime units shut down hawala channels and digital payment gateways. It has further called for the constitution of a state-level Special Investigation Team (SIT) without delay to trace links between local bookies and international syndicates.
“Before the World Cup final concludes, India must launch a domestic ‘surgical strike’ against this racket, so that our country’s and cricket’s reputation is not tarnished abroad,” the movement stated.
Emphasising administrative transparency and national interest, ‘Surajya Abhiyan’ has pledged to continue monitoring and pursuing this issue.
