Karnataka HC issues interim stay on cheating case against betting site owners

PTI, Jul 13, 2022, 4:55 PM IST

The Karnataka High Court has given an interim stay on an FIR and proceedings against the directors of an online betting site.

The complaint against the UP-based online company’s directors was filed by Shivarudraswamy C, from Sulibele, Bengaluru, who lost Rs 1,500 on a bet. He found that the money he lost was not credited to the online company but another account.

He filed a complaint against Shivam Kumar and Umesh Goyal, directors of Asian Checkout Pvt Ltd for cheating, fabrication of records among other allegations. The company runs the Parimatch gaming app.

Senior counsel Sandesh J Chouta appeared for the accused in the HC where they have filed a petition seeking quashing of the case pending against them before the Principal Civil Judge and JMFC Court, Hoskote.

Justice M Nagaprasanna who heard the petition issued an emergent notice to the complainant Shivarudraswamy.

Advocate Chouta demonstrated to the court through documentary evidence that the complainant had participated in the betting on the Parimatch app on his own accord and lost Rs 1,500.

”On account of loss, he registers a complaint on the ground that Rs 1,500 that he lost did not go into the account of Pari Match company, but is credited into the account of some other company,” the HC said in its interim order. A case was registered on this allegation made by the complainant.

The HC issued the interim stay order as, ”The question of inducement or fabrication of records prima facie cannot be laid against the petitioners, as there is not even a titer of foundation in the complaint for alleging such offences.”