Gamblers still rule the roost in the city though the Commissionerate Police claims that they have been conducting raids in different areas to eliminate the gambling dens. More surprisingly, the gamblers were seen continuing their business openly behind the headquarters building of the Commissionerate Police itself in the city.
According to sources, there are many gambling dens functioning in the prominent areas in the city like Master Canteen, railway station area, Rajmahal, Kalpana, laxmisagar, Barmunda, Chandrasekharpur, Saheed Nagar, Kharavel Nagar, Mancheswar, Nayapalli, Patia, Infocity, Airfield and old Bhuabneswar. The police are allegedly getting money from the gamblers so that they do not conduct raid, said the sources. A few influential persons are involved in the gambling business to make quick bucks and they run the dens without any fear.
If a common man can easily go to a den, is it a problem for the police to know where the dens are operatingIJ Then, why do the police fail to stop the functioning the gambling dens, asked a senior citizen, adding, “These dens tend to add to the crimes like snatching, looting, robbery and even murder in the capital.” After coming across the gambling den behind the Commissionerate Police headquarters, a citizen informed the police to bust it. When the police rushed to the particular place, surprisingly nobody was there. After an hour, the gamblers were again seen at their job there. It is interesting to note as to how the gamblers got prior information about arrival of the police so that they disappeared within no time. “We are regularly conducting raids in different areas of the city to stop the gambling dens. Most of the dens have shut their operation after our raids,” claimed Bhubaneswar DCP Nitinjit Singh.