The Gujarat Police’s State Monitoring Cell (SMC) on Sunday evening raided the controversial Manpasand Gymkhana in Dariapur, detaining more than 150 people allegedly involved in gambling and seizing cash, mobile phones, vehicles and other valuables worth several lakh rupees.
Police said gambling activities were allegedly being run from the club premises. Those detained are being questioned, and legal action has been initiated under the Prevention of Gambling Act.
The raid was conducted by the Gandhinagar-based SMC, once again bypassing the local police, a move that is likely to bring renewed scrutiny to policing and enforcement in the area.
Gymkhana under scanner again
The latest raid has once again put Manpasand Gymkhana in the spotlight.
The club has been linked to several major gambling cases despite repeated police action over the years.
In July 2021, the SMC raided the same premises and arrested 183 people in one of Ahmedabad’s biggest gambling crackdowns. The operation led to the suspension or transfer of nearly the entire staff of the Dariapur police station over allegations of failing to act against illegal activities.
Police sources said the gambling operation allegedly resumed despite the earlier crackdown.
In October 2023, the Ahmedabad Crime Branch again raided the gymkhana and arrested its owner along with 26 others, alleging that gambling was being conducted under the guise of skill-based games.
The latest operation is one of the biggest gambling raids in Ahmedabad in recent years and is expected to raise fresh questions over how the establishment continued to operate despite repeated enforcement action.