An Indian police officer has been fired from his job because he won a large amount of money on a fantasy sports website.
Somnath Zende, a police sub-inspector in Pune district of Maharashtra state, recently won money by playing Dream 11, an online fantasy league game.
Officials say he was temporarily not allowed to work because he broke the rules for how police officers should behave.
Mr Zende has denied or proved false the statement. He will have to go through an investigation by his department.
The police department in the Pimpri Chinchwad area of Pune suspended Mr. Zende for playing a game without permission and giving media interviews while wearing his uniform.
Mr Zende expressed that he felt he was being treated in a way that was not fair.
The police officer said he started playing games on Dream 11 website a month ago. On October 10th, he received a cash prize of 15 million rupees for winning a game on the platform.
Dream 11 says it is a game where skill is important, not just luck. They mention a recent court decision on their website that allows them to operate legally and not be considered gambling.
In India, gambling is against the law. However, some people in the gaming industry believe that “online skill-based gaming” is different. They argue that in this type of gaming, the skill involved is more important than luck.
The app has a famous cricketer, MS Dhoni, as its ambassador and has included Bollywood actors like Aamir Khan in its advertisements.
Users make virtual groups using names of actual players. After that, they get points depending on how well these players perform in real games.
Mr Zende was the winner of the game during a match between Bangladesh and England in the ongoing Cricket World Cup held in India.
After winning, they say Mr Zende wore his police uniform and talked to the media for interviews.
Amold Thorat, a worker of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which also holds power in Maharashtra, sent a letter to the chief minister and his deputy. In the letter, Thorat demanded action against Mr. Zende for participating in illegal gambling activities.
Mr Thorat said that Mr. Zende was playing the game instead of doing his job, and he called it not doing his duty properly.
Zende complained that pictures of him in his police uniform became very popular on the internet and gave people a negative impression of the police department in the state.
But Zende said he did not play the game while he was working. He claimed that other police officers also played the game.
A lot of people enjoy playing this game. It is a game or physical activity. “He said they play for a long time,” in simpler terms. It is not a game of chance, but I am still being punished.
Mr Zende said he will use his prize money to pay off his mortgage and open savings accounts for his children.
During Mr Zende’s departmental inquiry, he will have the opportunity to share his side of the story. A high-ranking police officer said they will make a decision about what to do next after they receive the report from the inquiry committee.