Disposed¶45

Metello Sports and Cultural Association v. State of Karnataka

Karnataka HC4 Feb 2026WP/32944/2025

Case brief

AI extract

What is this about?

Games of skill; recreational centre; insistence on licence by police; Karnataka Police Act; Metello Sports and Cultural Association; Basavanagudi; Inspector of Police K.G. Nagar report; vacant premises; Metello Hospitality Private Limited; W.P.No.25790/2025 (GM-Police); writ disposed; High Court of Karnataka; Justice B M Shyam Prasad; 04.02.2026.

What did the court decide?

No mandamus or directions as prayed were issued; the petition stands disposed of with the petitioner at liberty to install every requisite facility before approaching the Court again. ¶45

Metello Sports and Cultural Association Vs State… — Writ and Judicial Review | Karnataka HC (2026)

What the court decided

AI extract

Outcome

No mandamus or directions as prayed were issued; the petition stands disposed of with the petitioner at liberty to install every requisite facility before approaching the Court again.

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Issue for consideration

Whether the respondents can insist that the petitioner obtain a licence to carry on lawful activities at its association premises under the Karnataka Police Act. +1 more

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Ratio / Principle

Even to function as a Recreational Centre, the petitioner must ensure that certain facilities are in place, as this Court has reiterated time and again in disposing of similar writ petitions.

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Key takeaways

The petitioner will be at liberty to ensure that every facility that must be is installed before it even approaches this Court with a cause; on this observation the petition is disposed of.ratio¶41

Detailed headnote1 paragraphs

Single-judge Oral Order (Justice B M Shyam Prasad, 04.02.2026) disposing of W.P.No.32944/2025 (GM-Police) filed by Metello Sports and Cultural Association, a society registered under the Karnataka Societies Registration Act, 1960, which sought a writ of mandamus directing the police respondents not to insist on a licence under the Karnataka Police Act and not to interfere with games of skill (Fantastic3, Six Color Game, chess, snooker, rummy, poker, electronic coin games, carom, billiards) at its Bull Temple Road, Basavanagudi premises. Following the Court's direction dated 08.01.2026, the Inspector of Police, K.G. Nagar reported that the fourth-floor premises carries a board reading 'Metello Hospitality Private Limited', lies vacant with no recreational activity, furniture or equipment, and that neighbours confirm the entire building is vacant; the petitioner's counsel disputed the report, alleging obstruction from day one. The Court observed that even to function as a Recreational Centre the petitioner must ensure certain facilities — as reiterated in its recent order in W.P.No.25790/2025 (GM-Police) dated 02.12.2025 — and disposed of the petition, leaving the petitioner at liberty to install every required facility before approaching the Court with a cause.

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NC: 2026:KHC:6639 WP No.32944/2025

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HC-KAR

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IN THE HIGH COURT OF KARNATAKA AT BENGALURU DATED THIS THE 4^TH DAY OF FEBRUARY, 2026

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BEFORE

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THE HON'BLE MR. JUSTICE B M SHYAM PRASAD WRIT PETITION NO.32944/2025 (GM-POLICE)

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BETWEEN:

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METELLO SPORTS AND CULTURAL ASSOCIATION

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NO.112/7, WARD NO.49, BULL TEMPLE ROAD, BASAVANAGUDI, BANGALORE - 560 004 REPRESENTED BY ITS PRESIDENT M.K.RAVI KUMAR, AGE ABOUT 41 YEARS REGISTERED UNDER SOCIETIES REGISTRATION ACT, 1960

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…PETITIONER

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(BY SRI.TRISHUL M R , ADVOCATE FOR

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SMT. NITHYA V., ADVOCATE)

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AND:

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Digitally signed by VANAMALA N Location: HIGH COURT OF KARNATAKA

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STATE OF KARNATAKA

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REPRESENTED BY ITS SECRETARY, HOME DEPORTMENT, VIDHANASOUDHA, BANGALORE-560001.

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THE COMMISSIONER OF POLICE, BANGALORE-560001.

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THE DEPUTY COMMISSIONER OF POLICE BANGALORE SOUTH, BANGALORE-560004.

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NC: 2026:KHC:6639 WP No.32944/2025

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HC-KAR

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THE ASSISTANT COMMISSIONER OF POLICE, V.V.PURAM SUB DIVISION, BANGALORE-560004.

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THE INSPECTOR OF POLICE K.G.NAGAR, BANGALORE-560 004.

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THE ASSISTANT COMMISSIONER OF POLICE, THE CITY CRIME BRANCH, WILSON GARDEN, BANGALORE - 560 027.

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…RESPONDENTS

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(BY SRI.B.RAVINDRANATH, AGA)

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THIS W.P. IS FILED UNDER ARTICLES 226 & 227 OF THE CONSTITUTION OF INDIA PRAYING TO ISSUED A WRITE OF MANDAMUS OR ANY OTHER APPROPRIATE WRIT, ORDER OR DIRECTIONS, DIRECTING THE RESPONDENTS NOT TO INSIST UPON THE PETITIONER TO OBTAIN THE LICENSE TO CARRY IN LAWFUL ACTIVITIES IN THE PREMISES OF THE PETITIONER'S ASSOCIATION EITHER UNDER THE LICENSING AND CONTROLLING OF THE KARNATAKA POLICE ACT AND NOT TO INTERFERE IN THE PLAY OF SKILL FANTASTIC3, SIX COLOR GAME, CHESS, SNOOKER, RUMMY, POKER, ELECTRONIC COIN GAMES, CAROM, BILLIARDS, ETC., WHICH ARE THE GAMES OF SKILL.

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THIS PETITION, COMING ON FOR ORDERS, THIS

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DAY, ORDER WAS MADE THEREIN AS UNDER:

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NC: 2026:KHC:6639 WP No.32944/2025

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HC-KAR

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CORAM: HON'BLE MR. JUSTICE B M SHYAM PRASAD

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ORAL ORDER

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The petitioner asserting that it is a Society registered under the Karnataka Societies Registration Act, 1960 and that it is constituted to provide different facilities to its members. The petitioner has filed this petition for directions to the jurisdictional police not to interfere with its activities on the ground that it has to obtain license. This Court, on 08.01.2026, has called upon the fifth respondent to file a report on the petitioner's activities in the property.

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Mr. B. Ravindranath, the learned Additional Government Advocate, places on record a report as furnished by the fifth respondent. This report reads that [a] the petitioner has put up a board in the 4^th floor of the building in No. 112/7, Ward No. 49, Bull Temple Road, Basavanagudi, Bengaluru-560004, [b] the board reads that it belongs to Metello

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NC: 2026:KHC:6639 WP No.32944/2025

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HC-KAR

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Hospitality Private Limited , [c] the premises is vacant and no recreational activity is conducted there, [d] there is no furniture or equipment for such activity, and [e] the neighbours when enquired state that the entire building is vacant and there is no activity. The learned counsel for the petitioner proposes to dispute the report asserting that the authorities have obstructed from day one.

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However, this Court must observe that even to function as a Recreational Center, the petitioner must ensure there are certain facilities which are reiterated time and again by this Court in disposing of similar writ petitions. This Court could refer to the recent orders of this Court in W.P.No.25790/2025 [GM-POLICE] decided on 02.12.2025 . This Court therefore is inclined to dispose of the petition observing that the petitioner will be at liberty to ensure that every facility that must be is installed before it even approaches this Court with a cause.

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NC: 2026:KHC:6639 WP No.32944/2025

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HC-KAR

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The petition stands disposed of accordingly.

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Sd/(B M SHYAM PRASAD) JUDGE

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