Thailand: Casino Organiser Chikoti Praveen Granted Bail in Gambling Case

Hyderabad: A court in Thailand on Tuesday granted conditional bail to the casino organiser and gambler Chikoti Praveen Kumar who was arrested by the Thailand police after a raid on a gambling centre in a luxury hotel on Sunday night, a report said. 

The court has also ordered Praveen to furnish a personal bond amounting to 4,500 bahts (currency of Thailand). It is said the police have returned the passports to the accused persons. Earlier in the day, Chikoti Praveen was produced before the court along with other accused in the case. 

According to reports, Praveen told the court that the organisers misinformed him about the gambling event. He said he was made to believe it was a Poker tournament and several international players were participating in the event. 

Acting on a tip-off, the Thailand police conducted a raid at Asia Pattaya Hotel in Bang Lamung district of Chonburi and arrested 93 people including 80 Indians. It is reported that the accused had booked the hotel from April 27 to May 1 and were using a conference room for gambling.

The gamblers were reportedly caught with a total of Rs 20 crores in gambling chips and Indian currency in their possession. The Thai police seized gambling tables, cards, 160,000 Indian rupees in cash, 92 mobile phones, three notebook computers, three card dispensers, and chips to be exchanged for cash later.

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