Gujarat HC poker matter once again adjourned; now to be heard in February 2019

A division bench of the Gujarat High Court comprising of Acting Chief Justice Anant S. Dave and Justice Biren Vaishnav could not hear a letters patent appeal on the legality of poker filed by Indian Poker Association (IPA) secretary KN Suresh and other clubs. The matter was slated to come up on 21st December but could not reach the board.

As per the Gujarat High Court website, three separate but similar appeals filed Suresh, Hotel Ramada and Aman Chhabra are set to be listed again on 7th February, 2019 while an appeal filed by Dominance Games Private Limited is set to come up before the court on 8th February, 2019, although it is likely that all matters related to the game of poker will be clubbed and may be heard on the same date.

On 4th December 2017, a single judge bench of the High Court comprising of Justice Rajesh H. Shukla, while deciding on petitions filed by Suresh and eleven other interested parties, ruled that the game of poker is a game of chance and if the game is played within the state of Gujarat, it would amount to being a criminal offence.

Subsequently, Suresh and other parties filed a letters patent appeal before a two-judge bench of the High Court challenging the single judge’s order. The hearing on the appeals have since then not seen substantial progress and have been in the limbo for the past one year.