Marthi Subrahmanyam
Guntur
The villages located in the island villages in River Krishna in Repalle constituency have turned into illegal poker dens and a ruling party leader and his younger brother are allegedly involved in the gambling racket.
Several island villages in River Krishna have come in handy for gamblers and took advantage of their isolated location. The island villages can be reached only on boats.
Makeshift sheds were erected in the villages for gamblers to carry out their activities. Some of the villages do not have road connectivity and the organisers arrange boats for the gamblers to reach there. It is alleged that a ruling party leader and his brother are extending patronage to the poker gambling clubs. Though the people of Repalle know that poker gambling is being organised in a big way, surprisingly, the SEB officials have taken no cognizance of it. According to sources, poker gambling dens are located at Mynenivaripalem, Mothota, Adavuladeevi, Edupalli and Nagaram villages in Cherukupalli, NIzampatnam and Nagaram mandals in Repalle constituency.
The police have so far not conducted raids on the gambling dens in the island villages. The police conducted a raid on a poker gambling den at Muniredu village during the Coronavirus pandemic days and seized huge amounts of cash and a large number of vehicles. Later, no such raid has been conducted on poker gambling clubs in the constituency despite poker gambling flourishing. The illegal poker gambling dens are also set up by the organisers in Macherla and a large number of poker gamblers come from Hyderabad to play poker every day, sources added. There are allegations that illegal poker gambling clubs have mushroomed in Repalle, Guntur city, and Macherla with the connivance of police.
The ruling party leader and brother are earning crores of rupees by organising illegal poker gambling deans in the district, it is alleged. They are collecting huge money in the name of goodwill to become members of illegal poker gambling clubs.
Repalle TDP MLA Anagani Satya Prasad recently wrote a letter to the Chief Minister on illegal poker clubs in the constituency and urged him to take steps to close them.
