Photo Courtesy: nenews
Guwahati: Federal agents locked up Deepesh Bajoria on September 19. The Enforcement Directorate Guwahati Zonal Office-I cuffed the resident under Section 19(1) of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act. He stands accused of running an illegal betting syndicate during Indian Premier League matches across Assam and the northeast.
Investigators trace this probe back to a March 30, 2023, filing. It originated from a 2021 Guwahati Crime Branch FIR, alongside Tinsukia and Panbazar police cases. The charges involve criminal conspiracy, cheating, and breach of trust under the Indian Penal Code and the 1970 Assam Game and Betting Act.
Bajoria allegedly acted as the syndicate's principal bookie. He funneled bets through www.skyexchange.com and www.winner7.io, relying on encrypted messaging to handle transactions. The money flowed through M/s DRM Coke, a partnership firm where Bajoria holds a stake. Records show Rs 28.12 crore in credits and Rs 28.03 crore in debits between April 19, 2022, and May 15, 2026. The agency stated: "The material collected, read together with the statements recorded under Section 50 of the PMLA, 2002, established that Bajoria has knowingly engaged in the acquisition, possession, use, transfer and projection of proceeds of crime as untainted property."
A May 26 search of Bajoria's home yielded property deeds and luxury vehicle logs. Digital data from his emails and phones helped seal the case. Discrepancies between his testimony and the paper trail pushed the investigation forward. The ED is now tracking the ultimate beneficiaries of the scheme. Following his arrest, a judge at CBI Court No. 3 in Guwahati granted the ED six days to interrogate him.
Updated at 22nd September 2026 at 9:48am
Agents pinched Bajoria at his Zoo Road home during the September 19 arrest. Records indicate M/s DRM Coke was a non-operational outfit, yet it handled nearly Rs 56 crore in total volume during its active window.
The probe identified specific sections of the 1970 state law, citing Sections 13 and 14 of the Assam Game and Betting Act. Investigators noted the shell-like structure of the partnership firm was a central cog in the racket, masking the movement of funds between multiple individuals and entities.
Updated at 22nd September 2026 at 2:16pm
Investigators zeroed in on Bajoria at his Zoo Road residence during the September 19 sweep. While the firm M/s DRM Coke claimed to be a ghost outfit, it churned through nearly Rs 56 crore in total volume during its active run. The agency confirmed the partnership served as a facade to hide the money trail between various players and front entities.
The ED probe officially lists violations under Sections 13 and 14 of the 1970 state betting laws, citing specific legal breaches regarding the operation of these illegal games. Officials are now scrutinizing the inconsistencies between the financial excuses Bajoria offered and the hard evidence pulled from his digital devices.
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