Racing officials reassure public after fixture cancelled following arrests

Officials at the Royal Western India Turf Club (RWITC) have moved to reassure the industry that the cancellation of last Thursday’s fixture would be a one-off, following the arrest of 18 Mumbai bookmakers on allegations of fraud and tax evasion.

Just before Christmas, police raided Mahalaxmi racecourse in Mumbai, seizing the equivalent of £160,000 and arresting 18 layers who were supposedly failing to accurately record all bets taken, as a result avoiding paying licensing fees and taxes to the government.

Following the arrests, the RWITC called off its first fixture of the new year citing "administrative reasons", but in a statement said there would be no further abandoned meetings, which would be run with amendments to purse levels with funding undermined by the lack of bookmaker income.

The statement said: "Rumours are gaining momentum that the RWITC has cancelled several racedays and so on. The RWITC has decided to cancel only one raceday on Thursday, January 3.

"In view of the present financial crisis which the club is passing through, the committee of the club at its meeting held on December 30, 2018 took the following decisions: a) to pay 75 per cent of the advertised stakes for the races to be held in January, and b) no reduction in advertised stake money of sweepstake and graded races.”

These decisions are set to be reviewed at the end of the month.

The 18 bookmakers arrested were granted bail at a hearing on Wednesday, having spent 12 days in prison. Bookmakers at Pune, also run by the RWITC, have stopped operating in support of their colleagues.

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