The Karnataka High Court has ruled that the traditional card game Andar-Bahar should be treated as a game of skill rather than gambling, quashing criminal proceedings brought against several individuals from Dakshina Kannada district.
The decision was delivered by a bench headed by Justice M. Nagaprasanna while hearing petitions filed by residents of Suratkal and Karnadu village in Mulki taluk, near Mangaluru.
The petitioners had challenged a criminal case registered against them under the Karnataka Police Act following a police raid in May 2020.
According to the case background, Mulki police raided a house in Karnadu village after receiving information about alleged gambling activities. Officers reportedly found seven individuals playing cards with cash stakes and seized approximately Rs 11,000 ($114) from the premises.
A case was subsequently filed under Section 80 of the Karnataka Police Act, with police later submitting a chargesheet before the Moodbidri court.
In its ruling, the High Court stated that the mere presence of money in a card game does not automatically make the activity gambling. The bench referred to earlier Karnataka High Court judgments, including “Chikkarangappa and Others vs State of Karnataka” and “Eeranna vs State of Karnataka,” which previously held that games involving a substantial degree of skill cannot be categorised as gambling solely because participants wager money.
The court concluded that Andar-Bahar contains an element of skill and therefore falls outside the scope of punishable gambling offences under Sections 79 and 80 of the Karnataka Police Act.
As a result, the criminal proceedings pending before the Principal Senior Civil Judge and JMFC Court in Moodbidri were set aside.
The ruling comes amid broader scrutiny of betting and gaming activities across India, particularly during the ongoing IPL season, as authorities continue enforcement actions against alleged illegal online betting networks and offshore-linked operations.
India’s gambling regulation remains fragmented, with different states applying varying rules to card games, betting and online gaming activities
