Eight Arrested in Pokhara for Running Online Betting Network Targeting Indian Gamblers from Fake Software Office

Kathmandu. Police have arrested eight people in Pokhara for operating an illegal online betting network from a house rented under the guise of a software company.

A joint team from the Gandaki Province Police Office and the District Police Office, Kaski, raided a house owned by Jeevan Shrestha in Sedi, Pokhara Metropolitan City-18, on Friday morning and apprehended the suspects during the raid.

Those arrested include 31-year-old Dinesh Singh Bohora of Darchula, currently residing in Pokhara, and 34-year-old Indian national Satyam Singh. Others taken into custody are Harsh Usrete, 24; Vishal Chau, 23; Jaman Singh Tamar, 22; Bikran Singh, 27; Ajitesh Kumar Mishra, 26; and Satyam Rajput, 24.

During the raid, police seized 7 laptops, 31 mobile phones, 34 Indian SIM cards, 6 monitors and CPUs, routers, UPS systems, inverters, batteries, and other digital equipment used in the operation.

According to the police, the group had rented seven rooms in the house since 1 April 2026, claiming they were establishing a software company. Instead, investigators found they were operating an online betting business through the website gurubhai247.pro.

The suspects allegedly recruited customers through Telegram and WhatsApp groups, where they shared betting links and instructed users to deposit money before registering. Participants placed bets on cricket, football, casino games, and other gambling activities, with deposits and payouts handled online.

Preliminary police investigations indicate that the group primarily targeted customers in India. Investigators estimate the group generated between 300,000 and 400,000 Indian rupees in daily revenue. The operation reportedly relied on rented Indian bank accounts to process transactions.

Police also recovered Google Sheets used for internal accounting, which contained records showing collections of up to 10 crore Indian rupees.

Kaski District Police Office chief Superintendent of Police (SP) Naveen Karki said the group's main operator is believed to be an Indian national, although authorities have not yet disclosed the individual's identity. He added that the Pokhara-based office was the group’s 27th branch.

According to SP Karki, the group shifted its operations to Nepal because online betting is illegal in India and sought to evade Indian law enforcement by using Nepal's internet infrastructure while continuing to target Indian gamblers.

"We found that they were using Nepal's internet to avoid detection by Indian authorities, while their primary customers remained in India," Karki said.

Police launched the investigation after receiving information that individuals from Nepal's Sudurpashchim Province were collaborating with Indian operators to run online betting activities in Pokhara. Following nearly a month of surveillance, officers raided the premises at around 8 a.m. on Friday and arrested the suspects.

Police said all seized electronic devices have been sent to the Digital Forensic Laboratory in Kathmandu for examination. Further details about the network are expected after the forensic analysis is completed.

पछिल्लो अध्यावधिक: असार २९, २०८३ १२:१८