Odisha Police Ganjam Gambling Crackdown, Raids: 470 arrested, over ₹12.65 lakh seized ahead of Kumar Purnima

Odisha Police arrested 470 people in two days during a crackdown on gambling ahead of Kumar Purnima in Ganjam and Berhampur. Officers also seized cash and busted gambling dens as authorities warned that enforcement would continue.

The Odisha Police has conducted a major crackdown operation targeting gamblers. According to the Odisha Police, 470 people have been arrested in two days for gambling from Ganjam and Berhampur police districts ahead of Kumar Purnima.

On Wednesday night, police arrested 167 people and seized more than ₹5.56 lakh in connection with 32 gambling cases registered in the two police districts, the police said, according to PTI.

Crackdown on gambling

On Thursday, 250 people were arrested, and ₹7.09 lakh was seized in Ganjam police district, while Berhampur Police busted 10 gambling dens and arrested 53 people.

All the accused have been booked under the Orissa Prevention of Gambling Act, police said.

According to local media reports, eight more people were arrested by the Berhampur Police in a late-night raid on Friday.

Gambling traditionally takes place in several parts of Ganjam district in the period leading up to Kumar Purnima, which falls five days after Dussehra.

This year, Kumar Purnima will be celebrated on October 25.

The practice is prevalent in several villages, where people gather at night to gamble as part of the festivities. In some places, the activity continues until Diwali.

Police said the crackdown would continue for the next few days.

"We have advised people not to indulge in activities that violate the law," Ganjam SP Harish BC said.

"We have already instructed police stations to crack down on gambling dens and arrest those involved in this illegal practice," Berhampur SP Abhinav Sonkar said.

Last week, the police had arrested at least 71 people, including businessmen and government employees and an ex-cop from Andhra Pradesh was arrested during a raid in a gambling den at Deviti village under Paralakhemundi police limits in Gajapati.

Police seized over ₹12.03 lakh cash, 954 playing cards, 102 betting tokens, a currency-counting machine, 60 mobile phones and nine four-wheelers from the spot.

Gambling during Kumar Purnima

Under the Orissa Prevention of Gambling Act, 1955, the state government strictly bans all forms of public gambling and the operation of "common gaming houses" focused on games of pure chance.

While it still remains illegal, gambling is a deep-rooted cultural or ritual practice in Ganjam and Berhampur districts during Kumar Purnima.