Senior Citizens Booked For Gambling Over Playing Cards At Home, Know What Bombay High Court Says

The Bombay High Court passed an order to stay the proceedings against five senior citizens, whom the police arrested earlier this month on charges of alleged gambling. These five senior citizens were playing cards at home when Bandra Police raided the house and found that five men, aged between 63 and 81, were playing cards for money and stakes. Police registered an FIR against them. In response to this, these seniors filed petitions with the high court, seeking the quashing of the FIR against them. The bench comprising Chief Justice Shree Chandrashekhar and Justice Gautam A. Ankhad gave them relief, ordering a stay on all further proceedings.

In the FIR, the police booked the seniors under the Bombay Prevention of Gambling Act’s sections 4, which is about ‘Keeping common gaming-house’, and Section 12A, which is about ‘Power to arrest without warrant for printing, publishing or distributing any news or information’.

The police not only arrested these men but also seized their mobile phones and money (Rs 13,220) in the denominations of Rs 10 to Rs 500, per The Hindustan Times report. Allegedly, a total of Rs 32,720 was placed for gaming.    

The public prosecutor informed that the FIR was lodged by two women who lost money in the game. When the court enquired about why these women were present at the house where these five seniors were playing, it was informed that these women were also playing there. The revelation left the judges sceptical about the basis of the complaint and the nature of the police action in this regard.

Reportedly, the court asked police, “They went to you only because they lost money,” to evaluate whether the FIR was lodged just because they suffered losses. It further asked whether the house or the location is used as a gambling parlour, and if not, how did the women get to know about the gathering and gaming activity? Following the questions and discussions, the court ordered a stay on further steps in prosecution and investigation against the seniors until the next hearing on January 5, 2026. It also advised the seniors to settle the matter in the meantime.

The court told them to consider the possibility of compounding (a way of settlement where an accused can pay a sum of money to settle the matter) because the legal proceedings will not help them in the long run.

The matter highlights the questionable reason for the complaint and also the police action.