Crackdown on Aurangpura Gambling Club: 23 Booked, political links under scrutiny

Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar

In a late-night operation on Wednesday, the crime branch raided a gambling den allegedly operated by Vishnu Tanwani brother of a political leader at a snack shop near Aurangpura-Gulmandi Road. The club had been functioning openly for years despite being located in a busy commercial stretch.

Police detained 23 individuals during the raid, including Tanwani, who has been named as the 23rd accused in the FIR registered at City Chowk police station. The suspects were caught gambling with cash and coins across five round tables inside the shop. Those arrested include: Yogesh Shinde, Roshan Shinde, Devanand Kamble, Farukh Pathan, Syed Baba Noor, Samadhan Nawal, Syed Jalil Shabbir, Sameer Shaikh, Sandeep Thombre, Kartikesh Borade, Akash Paikarav, Golu Verma, Rajendra Jaiswal, Yusuf Beg, Abdul Wasim, Suraj Sapkal, Sanjay Lahoti, Prakash Chaudhary, Mahendra Jain, Dattu Bahire, Nurkhan Khan, and Mahesh Desai.

Focus shifts post-police reshuffle

Sources in the force suggest that following recent transfers within the city police, action on illegal clubs has intensified. The raid at the politically linked Chishtiya Chowk club long accused of open operations signals a fresh crackdown on selected gambling hotspots. With the state legislature’s monsoon session underway, officials believe the timing indicates growing pressure on local enforcement to act. The question now being asked within police circles is whether this momentum will continue or fizzle out after the legislative session ends.