New Delhi, Dec 7 (PTI) The Delhi High Court has agreedwith a lower court's observation that playing rummy with smallstakes at a club does not amount to gambling.
Justice Valmiki J Mehta's observation came on an appealfiled by one Suresh Kumar, challenging a trial court orderdirecting him to pay Rs 3 lakh to the Central Secretariat Clubhere as damages for filing a false police complaint.
"Trial court, in my opinion, also has rightly held thatmerely because a card game of rummy was played in the clubpremises with small stakes from a few annas to some rupeeswould not make it gambling as held by the Supreme Court,"Justice Mehta said.
Kumar, a former employee of the club, had complained thata "mafia" operated there and the club allowed gambling withinits premises.
The trial court had, however, opined that Kumar hadfailed to discharge the burden of proof on him.
The High Court agreed with the lower court's observationsand noted that Kumar was "frustrated" as he had been fired bythe club over misconduct.
"I completely agree with the discussion, reasoning andconclusion of the trial court because the complaint filed bythe appellant (Kumar) was on account of his frustration ofhaving been removed from the services of the club and theallegations made by him were not bonafidely made...
"They were made either as a revenge or to pressurise theclub to take the him back in service (along) with the factthat complaint was made after around two years of him beingremoved from the services with the club," the court said. PTIPPS HMP RRTARC.
This is unedited, unformatted feed from the Press Trust of India wire.