Varanasi: Nadesar police outpost in charge, a sub-inspector and a head constable were suspended following busting of a gambling racket in a surprise raid on the Mint House campus under Cantt police station on Tuesday night. In the police action, four accused of running a gambling racket were arrested and currency counting machines, cash and cards were recovered. Police commissioner Mohit Agrawal suspended the policemen for failing to check the nuisance of gamblers in the area.Agarwal took suo motu cognisance of information about operation of a major gambling racket in Mint House area and directed senior officials to conduct a surprise raid. DCP Varuna zone Pramod Kumar, along with huge police force, raided a campus in Mint House area on the intervening night of Monday and Tuesday.While most of the gamblers managed to escape on seeing police entering the campus, DCP led team arrested four. Police recovered cash worth Rs 21,000 kept stake money, three currency-counting machines and playing cards from the spot. FIR was lodged at Cantt police station under Section 13 of the UP Public Gambling Act.During initial investigation by senior officials, it came to light that gambling continued at this location for a considerable period but no effective preventive and legal action was taken at Nadesar police outpost level, while senior officials were also kept in dark.Taking note of “serious negligence in controlling illegal activities, sharing timely information and discharging official responsibilities”, Agarwal suspended Nadesar outpost in charge SI Sumit Pandey, area in charge SI Lallan Yadav and head constable Shani Vishwakarma with immediate effect.A separate inquiry is being conducted into the role of the station in charge regarding supervision and control at the local police station level. Any officer or employee found guilty in the inquiry will face strict departmental action as per rules, said officials.
