Panaji: The Goa police have conducted multiple raids in the coastal state as part of a crackdown on gambling and booked several people, including Mumbai ‘Matka Queen’ Jaya Chheda, an official said on Friday. According to a Goa police spokesman, the crime branch on Thursday carried out the raids at places, including Panaji, Mapusa, Porvorim, Margao, Vasco, Ponda, Mandrem, Pernem, registered 12 cases and arrested 12 bookies.
Some of the key ‘matka’ (betting and lottery game) operators named in the FIRs have been identified as Chandubhai Thakkar, alias D’sa, and Ganeshyam Bhai from Ahmedabad, and Jaya Chedda from Kalyan, on the outskirts of Mumbai.
Jaya Chheda is the wife of slain ‘Matka King’ Suresh Bhagat. A senior crime branch official said that Jaya Chheda operates the main ‘matka’ business from Mumbai, while Thakkar and Ganeshyam are the dealers in Gujarat.