M A I N   N E W S

Satta syndicates lure women, kids
From Raman Mohan

HISAR, Aug 13 — Satta kings have spread their tentacles to the countryside in Haryana where they have found a lucrative market in women and children, it is learnt.

Satta was hitherto an exclusive male reserve limited to towns. Inquiries, however, reveal that over the past two years, different satta syndicates have extended their operations to villages where they have successfully cultivated an entirely new clientele among women and children. Though betting amounts in the villages are much lower compared to the towns, the volume of business is so high that satta syndicates are now extracting more lucre out of rural women and children than the male satta addicts in towns.

The most disturbing feature of the racket is that a majority of these women and children belong to families which barely manage to make both ends meet. An extensive tour of the villages of nearby districts revealed that village urchins sift through garbage or extract grains from damaged crop throughout the day to earn up to Rs 5 to play satta. Many women too do the same or take up a menial job only to bet on a particular digit or a two-digit number.

According to information gathered from sources in the underground satta trade satta operations had spread even to the remotest villages. The villages have been divided into clusters which are managed by satta agents in nearby towns. These in turn deal with bigger syndicates in Delhi through their district agents. Since the rural clientele is restricted to children and women, the syndicates have entrusted the business of accepting bets to women. The number of such women is growing fast. The sources said women and children found it safer and easier to place bets with women rather than males.

Contrary to their urban operations, the syndicates have entrusted door-to-door collection of betting money and disbursement of prize money to women in the villages. This has ensured that more and more women are lured to betting as women prefer to deal with a fellow woman without their husbands getting wind of their involvement. The sources said this strategy had succeeded in luring women and children from well-to-do families too. The success of the strategy can be gauged from the fact though most men know that women and children in their village are placing bets, they are unaware of the involvement of their own family members.

One more interesting factor helps maintain the secrecy. In the case of poor families, women and children earn the money themselves rather than ask male family members for money on one pretext or the other. However, in the case of better off families women use the shagun given by visiting relatives for the purpose. Others procure it from various sources. The children from such families use their pocket money extracted out of family elders on the pretext of buying edibles.

That is not all. Elderly women drawing old-age pension from the state exchequer too are increasingly using the money for placing bets. Ever since the pension scheme was introduced, women beneficiaries have made it a point not to part with this money. Initially, they used the amount to buy presents for grandchildren and their daughters. However, a part of the pension is now finding its way to the coffers of satta kings.

It is learnt that newcomers generally begin with a net of Rs 2 for a single digit. If lucky they can win eight times the amount of the bet. Single-digit betting means a one in 10 chance of winning. That is why returns are low too. However, with time the more adventurous graduate to double-digit betting where the odds are 1 to 100 but the returns too are higher too — 80 times the amount of bet.

Insiders reveal that women and children generally limit themselves to single-digit satta. However, as they gain experience the amount of bet goes up steadily from Rs 2 to anything up to Rs 20. But that is as far as they go, the sources said.

It is learnt that rural women and children are now spending anything between Rs 75 to 100 crore a year on satta. The figure has been rising steadily over the past two years in the absence of any checks on the illegal operations. Police officials say satta operations in villages are an all-women affair. The village society is such that it is difficult to catch women red-handed. Even otherwise unlike the male satta market, women agents do not issue written slips. The dealings are dependent entirely on women’s trust on each other, they say.

Inquiries by The Tribune reveal that poor women and children initially take to satta to supplement family income. Unfortunately, the wives and children of alcoholics are more prone to this. It is learnt that initially unsuspecting newcomers are given prize money even though the result of the draw does not entitle them to it. After a few such false wins, they get addicted to satta betting. Thereafter, the winner is always the syndicate.

The problem is now beginning to engage the attention of women and children’s organisations. However, precious little has been done so far to curb the menace.