A reported police raid on an alleged gambling den operating from a factory floor in Delhi’s Jhilmil industrial area has raised questions about how such an operation continued for several months in a mixed industrial neighbourhood. Jagran – New Delhi reported that a joint team arrested gangster Mumtaz and other people during a late-night operation on Saturday and recovered Rs 30 lakh in cash, gambling chips and other material.
According to the report, the operation was conducted by Shahdara district police along with teams from the Anti-Auto Theft Squad and special staff of the northeast district. Shahdara Deputy Commissioner of Police R.P. Meena was quoted as confirming that the joint teams carried out the action.
The report identified Mumtaz as an alleged shooter associated with gangster Chhenu Pehalwan. It said an industrial premises had been taken on rent in the name of running a factory, while the first floor was allegedly used to operate the gambling den. Police sources cited in the report claimed that the operation had been running for several months.
The reported security arrangements offer a ground-level indication of how the premises allegedly controlled access. According to the source, cameras were installed outside the den, while a window at the main entrance was used to screen visitors. People seeking entry were reportedly asked who had sent them before being allowed inside. The report also said that alcohol was available at the premises.
Jagran reported that 32 people, including Mumtaz, were arrested. However, the same report lists more names than the stated arrest figure, creating an unresolved discrepancy that requires confirmation from the police before the number of arrests can be published as settled fact. The identities published in the report include residents of Seelampur and people identified by names such as Ravinder, Rashid, Radhe Mehta, Rishi Pal, Deepak, Gaurav Chaudhary, Mobin, Abrar, Narendra Singh and others.
The report also referred to a previous case involving Mumtaz. It said northeast district special staff had arrested him last year from an alleged gambling den in the Seelampur area. On that occasion, the police team had faced allegations of misappropriating recovered money, according to the report. The current report does not establish the outcome of those earlier allegations.
The raid has also prompted scrutiny of the local policing system. The source reported allegations that Mumtaz had been paying substantial sums to the local police station, enabling the gambling operation to continue without detection. These allegations were not established in the supplied material. The police were reported to be investigating them, and no conclusion about collusion or negligence has been provided.
The case highlights the administrative challenge of monitoring industrial premises that can be rented for purposes different from their stated use. It also raises questions about coordination between local police stations, district-level special units and intelligence teams when illegal commercial activity is allegedly sustained over an extended period. Those questions remain matters for investigation rather than established findings.
The next verifiable developments are expected to be the police confirmation of the exact number of arrests, the charges filed, the final amount and material seized, and the outcome of the inquiry into the allegations concerning the local police station.
