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After rounds of appeals at the courts for quite some time now, the legality of Poker is yet to find a hearing. The Delhi High Court has adjourned a petition filed by poker player Karan Mutha to 1st November 2018. Last year, the Delhi Police lodged an FIR against Mutha for gambling at a private premise in GK-1 area of the city.
Poker and its legality
Mutha approached the High Court for crushing the criminal charges against him. Mutha stated, the police did not specify that he was playing poker at the raided premises. Speaking further in his defense, he mentioned that poker is a skill game exempt from the provisions of gaming or gambling under Section 13 of the Delhi Public Gambling Act, even if it involves stakes.
Mutha has contested the charges by citing examples of the state of Nagaland and, the West Bengal Gambling and Prize Competition Act, 1957, and the Karnataka High Court also. He further mentioned that reputed businesses are hosting various poker leagues without any legal implications.
The Delhi High Court
On 15th December 2017, Justice Mukta Gupta of the Delhi High Court had listed the hearing for 27th April 2018. The High Court judge had also asked for a status report submission. After being postponed for seven months now, a new date has been assigned- 1st November 2018.
The Gujarat High Court
Poker petitions dwell in ambiguity not only in the capital. A division bench of the Gujarat High Court had adjourned the hearing on the legality of poker earlier. The bench comprised Chief Justice R Subhash Reddy and Vipul Pancholi.
KN Suresh (Secretary, Indian Poker Association), Aman Chabbra, Bahar Gymkhana, Hotel Ramada and Dominance Games Pvt. Ltd filed an appeal against the verdict that poker is a game of chance. A single judge of the same court had issued the order. The hearing was supposed to happen on April 3, 2018. Now, it has been listed to take place on June 26, 2018, after the court vacation.
