PIL seeks nationwide ban on online gambling operating as e-sports, social games

Five years after communal violence tore through parts of Northeast Delhi, a city court on Wednesday sentenced six men to imprisonment ranging from six months to three years for rioting, arson, and disobedience of public orders during the February 2020 riots. The verdict, seen as a step toward accountability, comes even as the Supreme Court has sought the Centre’s response to a public interest litigation (PIL) calling for a nationwide ban on online gambling platforms operating under the guise of e-sports and social games.

Background: The 2020 Delhi riots

The riots in Northeast Delhi erupted in February 2020 amid protests and counter-protests over the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA). What began as clashes in Jaffrabad and Maujpur escalated into large-scale communal violence that left 53 people dead, hundreds injured, and property worth crores destroyed.

A case registered at Khajuri Khas Police Station related to the looting and burning of goods from shopkeeper Vakeel Ahmed’s store in Sadatpur. During the trial, eyewitnesses and video evidence identified six accused Hari Om Gupta, Gorakh Nath, Bhim Sain, Kapil Pandey, Rohit Gautam, and Basant Kumar as participants in the mob.

Court’s Judgment

Additional Sessions Judge Parveen Singh convicted the six under Sections 147 (rioting), 148 (rioting armed with a deadly weapon), 435 (mischief by fire), 450 (house-trespass to commit an offence), and 188 (disobedience to order of a public servant) of the Indian Penal Code. Each was fined ₹61,000 in addition to their prison term.

While acknowledging that none of the convicts had prior criminal records and had remained law-abiding since 2020, the court rejected pleas for leniency, noting that punishment “should not be so mild that it erodes the deterrent effect” in cases of mob violence.

The judgment was lauded as reinforcing the principle that collective violence cannot go unpunished, even years after the event. Legal experts said it balanced deterrence with the possibility of reform.

Supreme court notice on online gambling PIL

In a separate development, the Supreme Court issued notice to the Centre on a PIL filed by the NGO Centre for Accountability and Systemic Change (CASC) seeking a nationwide ban on online gambling and betting apps allegedly operating under the cover of e-sports and social games.

A bench of Justices JB Pardiwala and KV Viswanathan tagged the plea with petitions challenging the Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Act, 2025 (Online Gaming Act). The government’s counsel told the bench that the new law already addresses the petitioner’s concerns but has yet to come into force.

The PIL argued that over 2,000 such apps are functioning in India, exposing youth to financial losses and mental health issues. It sought directions to the RBI, NPCI, and UPI platforms to restrict monetary transactions involving unregistered gaming applications.

Broader judicial context

Both developments — the sentencing in the Delhi riots case and the Supreme Court’s notice on the online gambling plea — highlight the judiciary’s active role in addressing delayed justice and emerging digital challenges. Together, they underscore a larger push for accountability, whether in curbing mob violence or regulating the virtual gaming economy.