Chikoti Praveen arrested for gambling at a hotel in Thailand

HYDERABAD: The Thailand police who conducted raids on a gambling centre at a luxury hotel in Pattaya of Thailand arrested Hyderabad-based casino organiser Chikoti Praveen Kumar along with others on Monday morning.

As many as a total of 93 people were arrested, including 80 Indians including 14 women. The police seized a huge amount of cash, gaming chips, and other materials related to gambling. It is learned that the gambling is being conducted under the supervision of Chikoti Praveen while Madhava Reddy and Medak DCCB Bank Chairman Chitti Devender Reddy who were present were arrested.

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According to reports, Chikoti Praveen is currently being interrogated by special teams and it remains to be seen what action the police would take.

Chikoti Praveen had allegedly established a den for gambling at Asia Pattaya hotel in Pattaya on Soi Phra Tamnak 4 in Tambon Nong Prue, Bang Lamung District.

Praveen brought people from many parts of India, including Hyderabad, for gambling, according to Thai police.

While all of them were ready to leave for India on Monday morning, the police raided the hotel late on Sunday and arrested them.

The police acted on a tip-off from detective agencies which informed the cops about several Indians booking rooms from April 27 to May 1 and were also making use of a conference room called Sampao for organising gambling.

Speculation is rife that the gamblers possessed a whopping Rs. 100 crores. Gambling is said to be a serious offence in Thailand, a Buddhist country.

Chikoti Praveen was allegedly involved in gambling in Nepal, Thailand, and Indonesia and was booked under various cases. The Enforcement Directorate also probed the irregularities of the Praveen.