A Public Interest Litigation (PIL) has been submitted to the Bombay High Court, calling for a ban on two online gambling apps- Junglee Rummy and Rummy Circle.
Filed by Ganesh Ranu Nanaware, a social worker from Solapur, the PIL seeks direction from the Maharashtra government to take appropriate legal action against the two platforms.
It also urges the court to initiate appropriate proceedings for eradicating the social evils and ill effects the two apps are causing in the society, especially for the vulnerable section of youths.
Earlier on, Nanaware had also filed the petition for the same with the President of India, the Prime Minister’s Office, and the Chief Minister of Maharashtra but elicited no action from the higher authorities.
According to the plea, these two apps are not only addictive but also lead to financial losses for many users, so much so that they even lead some youngsters to take their own lives.
“Youngsters are losing their money by playing rummy through these apps, and they are doing suicides,” the petition mentions.
Additionally, the PIL also highlights that the two apps operate illegally by breaching various laws including the Public Gambling Act of 1867, Bombay Prevention of Gambling Act of 1887, Information Technology Act of 2000 and Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (formerly IPC) by promoting gambling, which is regarded as a game of chance and is therefore illegal in many regions of India.
In his plea, the petitioner also emphasised the influence of celebrities in promoting these apps, arguing that their endorsements have boosted the platforms’ popularity, leading to considerable social harm.
Earlier on, Google India had also received legal notices urging the tech major to stop hosting these allegedly gambling apps on its Play Store. However, these notices were ignored and the servers still continue to support the operations of Junglee Rummy and Rummy Circle.
Concludingly, Nanaware has also requested the Court to issue a writ of mandamus, directing the State to ban the operation of these apps and to prohibit Google India from providing server support to them.
