MUMBAI
Says family silver is in the wrong hands of brother-in-law Chheda.
Seated in his sprawling sea-facing house in Walkeshwar is Vinod Bhagat, 63, a businessman and a matka (gambling) enthusiast. Almost two months after the sessions court sentenced six people to life imprisonment for the 2008 murder of his brother and “matka king” Suresh Bhagat, Vinod feels that justice has been done. However, he also believes that more needs to be done.
“It has been a five-year struggle to get justice for my brother.
I have more evidence to prove how he was wrongly framed in almost 14 cases in the past, including narcotics, attempt to murder, gambling and custody of weapons. His life was always under threat. If these accused had been taken into custody much earlier, my brother would not have been murdered,” Vinod said.
He said that Suresh’s brother-in-law Kiran Chheda, who is currently running Suresh’s Kalyan matka, is wanted in many cases. “He has falsely implicated my brother in several cases. He runs the family matka business but I will take it from his hands. I know it’s in the wrong hands,” added Vinod.
Quite candidly, he attributed the reason for his brother’s death to the successful matka empire started by his father and later taken over by Suresh. As he laid a deck of cards and points chart on the table to explain the rules of matka, he said, “Matka has been a boon and bane in my family.
My relationship with this business is that of love-hate. I left the business 35 years back when I lost my three-month-old son to illness. Matka killed my step brother Vasant Shah and my brother.” However, Vinod is keen to get back into the business.
Vinod’s father, Kalyanji Bhagat, a grocery shop owner based in Worli, was one of the people who pioneered matka gambling in 1962 when he started accepting bets based on the opening and closing rates of cotton traded on the New York wholesale market.
“Those days, punters used to bet on these numbers. Later, people placed bets on open and close rates of wholesale cotton traded on Bombay’s cotton exchange at Sewri,” said Vinod. From here, matka took over the whole country, with operators, punters and bookies flourishing to make profits.
According to Vinod, matka has lost its “old charm” and is deceitful now. “There are still more than 25 matka bazaars Main, Kalyan, Milan etc in Mumbai and lakhs gamble on it, day in and day out. Some of the popular bazaars, such as Main, Kalyan and Milan, rake in a profit of Rs6-8 crore a month.
The total worth of matka is more than Rs100 crore in a month in the country. These days, those who operate matkas rake in the moolah and punters and bookies are cheated in a big way,” said Vinod.
He added that Mumbai used to be a den of more than 5,000 retail addas. “With strict police raids, the addas have vanished. They are spread over places such as Igatpuri, Nashik, Pune, Kalyan and Ulhasnagar,” he said, adding that punters of Mumbai are increasingly using cell phones and internet to place bets.
“The matka operators have 60 to 100 phones on them and gambling happens through the day.”
Vinod also said it is high time matka is legalised in the country. “I believe that if it is legalised, the number of crimes will only reduce. It is also a way of empowerment, especially among the poor. I will personally appeal to the home ministry to legalise it,” he added.
How it all began
Vinod’s father, Kalyanji Bhagat, a grocery shop owner based in Worli, was one of the people who pioneered matka gambling in 1962 when he started accepting bets based on the opening and closing rates of cotton traded on the New York wholesale market.
From here, matka took over the whole country, with operators, punters and bookies flourishing to make profits.
DNA TV Show: Why Pakistan worried about a Donald Trump presidency
Pakistan bow down as THIS country set to host India’s Champions Trophy 2025 matches
Amid heavy pollution in Delhi, these 12 Indian cities enjoy fresh, clean air
Bigg Boss 18: Vivian Dsena confides in Kashish Kapoor about his stepdaughters, talks about his...
After S Jaishankar's conference, India slams Canada for action against Australian news channel
Sidhu Moosewala's parents share NEW pic of his baby brother, netizens say 'so cute'
‘It definitely does a lot of good to my ego’: Aishwarya Rai gets candid in film promotion interview
Ignored for Australia Tests, India star slams sensational Ranji Trophy double ton
Interviewer asks Aishwarya Rai ‘how do you look so fab’, she says…
How Biden’s Lame-Duck Period Could Influence Policy Decisions After Choosing Not to Run in 2024
Watch: Viral video shows heated argument between passengers in Delhi metro
Virat Kohli's 'new chapter for me' post ahead of Border-Gavaskar Trophy sends internet into frenzy
Mukesh Ambani, India's richest man, donated over Rs 400 crore in one year, Gautam Adani gave Rs...
Delhi: Air pollution in national capital spike during Chhath Puja, AQI reaches 'severe' level
AUS vs PAK Live Streaming: When and where to watch Australia vs Pakistan 2nd ODI live in India?
'I gain weight as body...' Arjun Kapoor reveals being diagnosed with Hashimoto’s disease
Stark Visas: The Best Immigration Consultant in Delhi Sets Immigration Dreams High in Ahmedabad
KREEVA targets top 1% elite for its ultra-luxury homes in Delhi-NCR’s prime locations
Tata Group acquires another company for over Rs 18 crore days after Noel Tata joins board
WPL 2025 Retentions: Full list of players retained and released by all 5 franchises
ED raids main vendors of Amazon, Flipkart across multiple cities, including Delhi, Mumbai due to...
Anil Ambani suffers major setback, his company banned for 3 years due to...
Meet woman, a cuddler, professional hugger, earns Rs 7400 in 1 hour, she is...
Meet teen who started working from garage, now set to make Rs 25 crore at just 16 from...
Viral video: Slum children recreate Sabyasachi bridal wear, designer reacts; WATCH
Missing Home on Chhath Puja: Yearning and significance behind Bihar’s holy festival
Chhath Puja 2024 Day 4: Usha Arghya date, timings of sunrise, puja rituals, significance and more
Ricky Ponting wants Babar Azam to follow Virat Kohli's footsteps for THIS reason
Elon Musk's net worth surges by Rs 2193295096200 in a day after...
Meet India's richest female YouTuber, left teaching job, has Rs 43 crore net worth, now works as...
This fruit is called non-vegetarian, it is...
Meet man who was India's biggest con artist, he sold Taj Mahal, Rashtrapati Bhawan, Red Fort...
Nita Ambani reveals husband Mukesh Ambani follows a strict diet, here's what he eats
'Tu jhuti woh makkar': Influencer accuses 10-year-old of groping her; narrates ordeal in viral video
Richa Chadha, Ali Fazal name their daughter, Zuneyra Ida Fazal; it means...
After returning as President, what will happen to cases against Donald Trump? Know here
25-year-old turns temple thief, steals ornaments worth Rs 78 lakh for...
Why Mahindra XUV700 is perfect for road trips and off-road adventures
Mahindra Scorpio N: A legacy of toughness with a modern twist
'Capable of loving more women': Kamal Haasan's bold take on marriage and relationships goes viral
How reaction time and speed tests can give gamers a competitive edge
This is world’s most polluted city with AQI of 1165, it’s just 409 kms away from Delhi
Blow to Gautam Adani as his company's shares fell 7% due to...
Pune Porsche crash: Father of teen driver's friend surrenders before court
Geographic and political nature of drug trafficking sea routes to India
Delhi AQI Update: Air quality turns 'severe', AQI reaches...
Mukesh Ambani's SUPERHIT new plan for Jio users, offers 100 GB of free cloud storage for just Rs...
Delhi-Mumbai expressway to slash travel time to 25 minutes: Key stretch to open on...