A group has been found hosting illegal gambling in Jhapa, enticing youths there to play the game and lending money for exorbitant interests.
The gang used to ask people to issue cheques, which when got bounced later resulted in the victims being arrested on charge of cheque bouncing.
There was a clash between the villagers of Simalwadi, Jhapa Rural Municipality-3, the police and the loan shark hosting illegal gambling after they reached the village to arrest 40-year-old Ashok Rai at his house on Saturday morning.
Bishal Poudel of Damak-5, who reached the village to arrest Rai, sustained injuries in the clash.
Deepak Rai, Ashok’s father, said that the team led by Sub-Inspector Bhim Shrestha of the District Police Office, Damak and members of the gang tried to arrest Rai from his home at 4:00 am.
Ashok Rai said Purna Prasad Rijal, who runs an illegal gambling den in Damak, first offered him some money to play the gamble at his house and later charged him exploitative interest for the money.
Organising a press conference, the victim claimed that even after he had paid the principal amount and interest, they forced him to issue a cheque of Rs. 800,000 by taking him to Damak Hotel Highway.
Rai also claimed that the group led by Rijal mercilessly beat him first, ruptured his eardrums and then forced him to issue the cheque.
Rai’s wife, Kamala Limbu, claimed that a group of police and illegal gambler reached their house early morning to arrest his husband, who had been resting after being mercilessly beaten by the group.
Ashok said that he had lost more than Rs.50 million within three years after he joined the gambling hosted by Purna Prasad Rijal, Som Khanal, Kamal Khanal, Durga Paudel and others from Damak.
He said he had sold his house in Damak, two Katthas of land in Kankai municipality-3 and one Bigha land in Jhapa Rural Municipality-3.
It is found that the gang initially provokes young people to play the gambling. Once they are in the game and run out of money, the gang offers them any amount of money and later extorts huge amounts from them at exorbitant interest rates.
With the involvement of police, they force the victim to issue cheque with a large amount, said a local.
They also claimed that gamblers have good relations with police.
The victim’s family has complained that the area police office, Damak, violated its jurisdiction and sent the police personnel to arrest Rai of Simalwadi, Jhapa Rural Municipality-3 in a kidnapping style.
When asked about the complaint of the Rai’s family, Dilip Giri, chief of area police office, Damak, said that the police went to execute the cheque bounce arrest warrant issued on the basis of the complaint filed at the police office.
Giri also said that the police have coordinated with the local police before reaching Rai’s house.
It is claimed that hundreds of families of Jhapa have fallen in the trap of gambling and exorbitant interest.
Source : TRN,
