Online gaming firm moves HC to quash case

CHENNAI: A day after Tamil Nadu governor R N Ravi returned the state's Bill to ban online rummy, a gaming company has moved Madras high court challenging notices issued by police in connection with suicide of a person, who had suffered financial loses by playing online rummy.
PalyGames 24x7 alleged that the crime branch police under the guise of conducting inquiry in connection with the suicides are harassing its employees.
Admitting the plea, Justice G Chandrasekharan directed the police to respond to the plea and adjourned the hearing to March 14.
According to the petitioner, it had received a notice from the crime branch last year informing it that an inquiry was being conducted to probe the death of one Manikandan, who had died of suicide on January 2, 2022 allegedly after playing the online game.
Similarly, on February 24, the crime branch sent another notice to the petitioner informing that it had been charged under Section 302 of IPC for Manikandan's death. The crime branch asked the company's official to appear before it and also sought several documents and other information from them.
"Charging the company for murder and demanding irrelevant information amounts to an abuse of power on part of the state agency and is an attempt to achieve indirectly what the state has failed to achieve directly by imposing total ban on online rummy," the petitioner said.
Claiming that the company was not responsible for Manikandan's suicide, it wanted the court to quash the notice and to direct the police not to harass the company and its employees.