Indian police launch operation against gamblers ahead of Durga Puja festival

The police have already arrested five people for gambling in a house in the Palashguri village of Kokrajhar on 29 September. 

Local gamblers have been identified as Hafizur Rahman, Asfar Ali, Sahajahan Miya, Abu Telep Sheikh and Insan Ali. 

In a statement, Assam police forces said: “Ahead of the Durga Puja festival, police have been launching operations against gambling and last night [29 September 2022] arrested five persons. 

“Meanwhile, a case has been registered at Gossaigon police station in connection to this. 

“There are so many gambling activities happening in the districts during Durga Puja. Following this, an operation was launched ahead of [the festival] to curb the illegal activities and nab the offenders.” 

The police seized a total of ₹15,500 ($190.47) and recovered gambling materials from those partaking in gambling activities.  

Speaking to local media, a witness to the arrests said: “A police team of Sapkata Out Post near Gossaigon in the Kokrajhar district launched an operation in Palashguri village and caught five persons while they were gambling inside a house.” 

The Durga Puja festival – also known as Durgotsava or Sharodotsava – is an annual Hindu festival originating in the Indian subcontinent, which reveres the goddess Durga and her victory over Mahishasur.  

The festival is particularly popular in the Indian states of West Bengal, Bihar, Assam, Odisha and Tripura. 

Regional celebrations are commonplace, and gambling activities make up some of the jollifications despite being an illegal practice in India.  

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Louis Thompsett

Gambling Writer

Louis Thompsett is a journalist and editor who served as a Staff Writer at Gambling Insider from February 2022 to April 2023, covering key developments across the global gambling, sports betting and iGaming sectors. During his time with the publication, he reported on regulatory updates, operator strategy, technological innovation and market trends, contributing both news coverage and in-depth editorial features for Gambling Insider and its associated titles.

Louis later advanced into senior editorial roles and now works as Editor-in-Chief of FinTech Magazine and InsurTech Digital, where he oversees content strategy and reporting for a global B2B audience across financial and technology sectors.

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