HC notice to Guj govt, Surat cops for nod denial to poker club

The Gujarat High Court today issued notice to the state government on a petition filed by a poker club after it was denied clearance by Surat police on the ground that poker is gambling and not a game of skill.
Petitioner AAA Gaming Pvt Ltd told the court that it made representation before Surat Police Commissioner on January 17 to start a poker club in Umra area of the city.
But on January 27, the police commissioner denied permission to the club saying that "poker is a game of chance and not skill which allows gambling in game".
The single-judge bench of Justice C L Soni today issued notices to the state government, Surat Police Commissioner and Umra police inspector.

Upon submission made by the petitioner's lawyer, Maulin Pandya, that his client should be provided with interim relief, the court issued notice for the same and kept the matter for further hearing on February 21.
The petitioner said that the police commissioner rejected their application to start a poker club under Umra police station limits, by simply making a one-line observation that poker is a game of chance and not skill.

The petitioner said that the view expressed by the authority is without legal base, and there was no detailed deposition on how police commissioner reached the conclusion when there are grounds to consider poker as a game of skill.

It further said that section 13 of Gujarat Prevention of Gambling Act exempts a game of skill from the purview of gambling.
Notably, a similar petition was filed earlier by Indian Poker Association last year when police interfered with the club started in Ahmedabad saying it indulged in gambling. The high court is yet to give its judgement on this petition.
Both the petitions have claimed that high courts in Karnataka and West Bengal have already endorsed poker as a game of skill.