Indian Man Allegedly Beaten to Death by Police After Arrest at Gambling Den

A man in the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh was allegedly beaten to death by police after being arrested at a gambling den, according to his family.

The man is only referred to as Ramakrishna in reports. His family staged a protest outside the Singanamala police station, demanding justice.

Ramakrishna is reported to have been arrested in a raid on a gambling den on Sunday. His family says he was then summoned to the police station on Monday before being beaten. He later died while undergoing treatment at the Singanamala Government Hospital.

As part of the protest, the family carried his body on a stretcher outside the station and raised slogans against the police. The police have yet to make an official statement on the case, but have reportedly initiated an inquiry into the incident.

India Enforces Stricter Laws on Gambling

There is no other information about the gambling den where the man was arrested, but India has enacted new laws targeting gambling. The country’s parliament passed the Promotion & Regulation of Online Gaming Bill last month, which explicitly bans all forms of online gambling.

Previously, states were able to allow bettors to wager on “games of skill,” such as fantasy sports, poker, and rummy. As a result of the new law, many companies have been forced to lay off workers or alter their business models.

Andhra Pradesh, however, took a firm stance against gambling even before the new legislation. The 2020 Andhra Pradesh Gaming (Amendment) Act criminalized online gaming, including games of skill.

The state also takes a strong stance against gambling dens. Police conducted a series of raids on cockfighting and Gundata, a gambling game played with dice, venues earlier this year. There have been reports of violence at the locations and multiple arrests.

Police Brutality After Gambling Arrests

Following arrests, there have been other cases of police brutality. In 2016, a 25-year-old died during a police raid on a gambling den in the Dabholi area, Surat. Locals allege he was beaten to death by an officer.

Last year, a man also died while in custody after being arrested at a gambling raid in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh. The man’s family similarly alleged that his death was the result of police brutality.

In the wake of the new legislation, Prime Minister Modi stated that he believes the youth of India will initiate a cultural shift away from gambling.

Modi stated, “All teachers must now sensitise students that gaming and gambling are different. This is a big decision that we have taken, and many forces did not want us to ban online gambling, but our government has the political will and intent to protect the future of youth.”

He encourages Indians to embrace online gaming and esports while denouncing all forms of gambling. By doing this, “India can dominate the global online gaming market, if done in the right manner…there are huge job opportunities too,” said the PM.