Chennai: Cases filed against the ordinance banning online gaming have been withdrawn in the Madras High Court.
Last October, the Tamil Nadu government issued an ordinance banning online games. Cases were filed in the Madras High Court on behalf of organizations including the Mumbai-based All India Sports Federation seeking to ban and cancel this law.
These cases came up for hearing in a bench comprising Chief Justice Raja and Justice Krishnakumar. At that time, senior lawyer Kapil Sibal, who appeared for the Tamil Nadu government, argued that “even though the emergency law has been passed, the date of its implementation has not been announced yet. There is no reason to continue with this case. Instead of the emergency law, a law has been passed in the assembly and sent for the governor’s approval.”
Senior advocates Ariyama Sundaram, Mukul Rothaki and Satish Parasaran, who appeared for the online gaming companies, said, “Even though the date of the emergency law has not been announced yet, it should be treated as an existing law. The emergency law will expire only after the governor gives his assent to the replacement law.
As the authorities are keen to take action under the Emergency Act, they demanded an order not to take action against the companies until a few days after the effective date is announced. The judges who heard the case said, “There is no reason to continue this case when the date of the Emergency Act has not yet been announced.” reported.
At that time, the petitioners requested, “After announcing the date of entry into force of the emergency law, a fresh case should be allowed.” Accepting this, the judges allowed the case to be withdrawn and dismissed the case. The judges also ordered to allow online companies to file fresh cases after announcing the effective date of the Ordinance.