Kolkata, Sep 29 (IANS): Akhtar Parvez, owner of the popular biryani restaurant chain Arsalan, was among 14 people arrested for allegedly playing poker during raids in two clubs in the city, police said on Sunday.
The sleuths from the anti-rowdy section of the Kolkata Police detective department conducted simultaneous raids against poker clubs in different places of the city late on Saturday night.
"During the raids, 14 persons, including Parvez, were arrested from two poker clubs," a police officer said.
Parvez, 57, and a resident of Syed Amir Ali Avenue in central Kolkata, was picked up along with six others from Friends Club in south Kokata's Camac Street under the Shakespeare Sarani police station.
An amount of Rs 94,300 was seized as board money.
Seven others were arrested from Leo club on AJC Bose road under the Beniapukur police station in the southern part of the city.
Rs 90,000 in cash, several poker dice and playing cards were also seized, Joint Commissioner of Police (Crime) Murlidhar Sharma said.
Cases under Sections 120B (criminal conspiracy) and 420 (cheating) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) , and various provisions of the West Bengal Gambling and Prize Competition Act have been slapped on those arrested, Sharma said.
Poker is banned in India.
Last month, the Arsalan owner's son, Raghib, was arrested and booked under various provisions of the IPC, including section 304 (culpable homicide not amounting to murder) and 308 (attempt to commit culpable homicide), after a luxury car he was driving was involved in an accident killing two people and injuring another three.
Before Raghib's arrest, his younger brother Arsalan - after whom the restaurant chain has been named - was arrested in connection with the hit-and-run case after he said he was at the wheel of the vehicle.
However, on interrogation, police found that Raghib was driving the car.
Arsalan has now been charged under IPC section 201 (causing disappearance of evidence of offence, or giving false information to screen offender).
Their maternal uncle Hamsa was also arrested for sheltering Raghib.