A division bench of the Gujaratꦇ High Court comprising of Acting Chief Justice Anant S. Dave and Justice Biren Vaishnav dismissed Indian Poker Association (IPA) Secretary KN Suresh’s letters patent appeal on the legality of poker on for default.
Suresh who was expected to appear as a party in person to argue his case, failed to do so when the matter was called out on 14th February and hence the appeal was dismissed. The order recorded by the court noted, ‘When the matter is called out party-in-person is not present. Hence, the present appeal along with the application stands dismissed for default. Notice is discharged. Interim relief, if any, stands vacated.’
Reflecting on the order, Suresh noted that the court had unwisely dismissed his appeal when there are three other appeals on the same issue pending and added that he 🐲had moved ꦑan application for restoration of the petition.
In the meanwhile, the other appeals filed against the common order of the single judge of the Gujarat High Court are slated to come up for൩ hearing on 11th March, 2019.
Hotel Ramada, Dominance Games Private Limited and Aman Chabbra🌸 are the other appellants who have challenged the single judge bench order of the Gujarat High Court dated that held poker☂ to be a game of chance and amounted to the offence of gambling under the Gujarat Prevention of Gambling Act.