Indore, March 11 Police raided the farmhouse of a woman IAS officer in the Indore district of Madhya Pradesh and detained 18 people for alleged gambling after gaining illegal entry, officials said on Wednesday.
Following the incident, the IAS officer sent a letter to the police complaining about people illegally entering her farmhouse and indulging in criminal activities.
Three police personnel, including a station house officer, have been suspended over the gambling scandal.
Officials said that acting on a tip-off, police raided a farmhouse in Awalipura village, about 50 kilometres from the Indore district headquarters, on the intervening night of Tuesday and Wednesday. They detained 18 people for alleged gambling, while six others fled the scene.
Thirty mobile phones, playing cards, and Rs 13.68 lakh cash were recovered from the possession of the accused, who live in different parts of the state.
Officials said that the main gate of the farmhouse was locked while some people were gambling inside.
A case has been registered against the gamblers under the relevant provisions of the BNS and the Gambling Act.
The main accused, Jagdish Rathod alias Kubda, who organised the gambling at the farmhouse, along with farm caretaker Ranjeet Chaudhary and others, fled the scene, officials added.
According to officials, the farmhouse belongs to IAS officer Vandana Vaidya and her family. Vaidya currently serves as Managing Director of the state government's Finance Development Corporation.
After the gamblers were caught, Vaidya sent a letter to the police stating that unknown individuals had illegally entered the family's farmhouse and that she suspected they had also committed theft.
In the letter, Vaidya also requested that a separate criminal case be registered against these people under relevant provisions.
"An investigation will be conducted into the IAS officer's letter to determine how people illegally entered his farmhouse. Appropriate action will be taken after the investigation," Superintendent of Police (Rural) Yangchen Dolkar Bhutia told