Kochi: The state government's decision to ban online rummy was on Monday set aside by the Kerala High Court which said the game would not amount to gambling, as claimed by the LDF government.
Justice T R Ravi set aside the Kerala government's decision, saying it was arbitrary and unconstitutional.
The state government had issued a notification stating the Online Rummy is not exempted from coming under the ambit of Section 14A of Kerala Gaming Act that prohibits gaming and gambling.
Monday's order came on the petitions by several online gaming companies against the state government's notification banning online rummy.
Senior advocates including Mukul Rohatgi, Santhosh Mathew and Thomas Kuruvilla appearing on behalf of the online rummy companies argued that the state government could not ban rummy, noting ban on online rummy while allowing physical rummy was 'arbitrary' in nature.
The state government was of the view that online rummy played for stakes amounts to gambling and thus, was prohibited.
The petitioners also annotated Supreme judgments in State of Andhra Pradesh vs K Satyanarayana and Ors and KR Lakshmanan vs State of Tamil Nadu and Ors — in which the apex court observed that rummy is primarily a game of skill.
(With inputs from agencies)
