A petition has been submitted to the Bombay High Court seeking to prohibit well-known online platforms Junglee Rummy and Rummy Circle as a measure to address the growing issue of online gambling. Ganesh Ranu Nanaware, a social worker from Solapur, raised concerns in a petition about the major detrimental effects social media is having, particularly on youths.
Nanaware's Public Interest Litigation is the outcome of his ongoing efforts to alert the authorities to the issue. The petiotion claims to have seeked help from The Prime Minister, The President and as well as The Chief Minister but due to lack of response from their office he has now been forced to take legal action.
The petition states that due to the addictive nature of the applications the users are led to suffer considerable financial losses. Some people, who cannot handle their losses, have turned to suicide as the situation has become extremely serious. The petition clearly expresses that youth are losing money and committing suicide by playing rummy through these apps.
At the core of Nanaware's argument is the claim that these platforms are in violation of various laws, such as the Public Gambling Act of 1867, the Bombay Prevention of Gambling Act of 1887, and the Information Technology Act of 2000. The petition claims that these apps encourage gambling, a game of luck, which is against the law in several regions of India, thus also breaching the Indian Penal Code.
Further supporting his case, the petition refers to a response Nanaware received from the State of Maharashtra under the Right to Information Act, which confirmed that no permissions had been granted for such online gambling activities. This lack of official sanction adds weight to his argument that these platforms are operating outside the law.
Another critical aspect of the petition is the role of celebrities in promoting these gambling platforms. Nanaware argues that the endorsements by well-known personalities have significantly contributed to the popularity of these apps, exacerbating the social harm they cause.
Nanaware’s efforts to halt the operation of these platforms extended to sending legal notices to Google India Pvt. Ltd., the provider of servers for these apps. However, the petition notes that these notices went unanswered, and the servers continue to support the operation of Junglee Rummy and Rummy Circle.
Nanaware has asked the Bombay High Court to issue a writ of mandamus, instructing the State to prohibit these apps and stop Google India from offering server assistance to them. The ruling from the court on this issue may establish an important precedent for overseeing online gambling websites in India.
TAGS: PIL Bombay High Court online gambling Junglee Rummy Rummy Circle ban addiction social harm youth Public Gambling Act Information Technology Act celebrities
