Karnataka Families Association Vs the State of… — Writ and Judicial Review | Karnataka HC (2026)

Karnataka Families Association Vs the State of… — Writ and Judicial Review | Karnataka HC (2026)

What the court decided

AI extract

Outcome

Petition disposed of with directions: respondents not to interfere with the lawful recreational activities of the petitioner-Association, subject to conditions — installation of CC TV cameras within six weeks with 15-day footage available to police, issuance of member identity cards, no acts within Sections 2(14) & 2(15) of the Karnataka Police Act, 1963 and no games of chance or play with stakes except games of skill, and a mechanism against unlawful play; police retain liberty to visit the premises and to act in accordance with law against unlawful or immoral activities.

Issue for consideration

Whether the respondents can insist that the petitioner obtain licence or permission under the Karnataka Police Act (or under the licensing law for places of public amusement) for playing games of skill such as chess, billiards/snooker, carom, rummy and andar bahar. +1 more

Court's answer

The petitioner shall not permit any activity by its members falling within the definition of Sections 2(14) & 2(15) of the Karnataka Police Act, 1963, nor any game of chance as per Explanation (II) of Sub-section (7) of Section 2 of the Karnataka Police Act, 1963; members shall not play any game with stakes or for profit or gain, except games of skill.

Ratio / Principle

The petitioner shall install CC TV cameras within six weeks at all places of access to its members and at all places where games are played, and shall make CC TV footage of at least the prior 15 days available to the police as and when called upon.

Key takeaways

The petitioner shall issue identity cards to all its members, which shall be produced when called upon by the police during raids and surveillance.ratio¶49
The petitioner shall put a proper mechanism in place to ensure no game is played in an unlawful manner; if the police find any game played contrary to law and in violation of settled practice, it is open to them to take action against the petitioner and the offenders in accordance with law.ratio¶54
The jurisdictional police shall have liberty to visit the petitioner's premises periodically and/or on receipt of any information about any unlawful activity being carried on therein.

Detailed headnote1 paragraphs

Karnataka Families Association, a society registered under the Karnataka Societies Registration Act, 1960 carrying on indoor recreational games such as Carom, Chess and Rummy, filed this writ petition under Articles 226 and 227 of the Constitution seeking mandamus restraining the police from insisting on licence or permission under the Karnataka Police Act (or the licensing law for places of public amusement) and from interfering with its activities, alleging repeated unjustified police visits, intimidation and threats. Relying on the authoritative Division Bench pronouncement in D.V.R Recreation Club Vs State of Karnataka (W.A.No.20090/2015) and the consistent view taken in W.P. No.21010/2023, Sachin Shankar Magadum J. disposed of the petition with the following directions: (i) the petitioner shall install CC TV cameras within six weeks at all access points and gaming areas and make footage of at least the prior 15 days available to police on demand; (ii) identity cards shall be issued to all members and produced during raids/surveillance; (iii) no act of amusement within Sections 2(14) & 2(15) of the Karnataka Police Act, 1963 nor any game of chance under Explanation (II) to Sub-section (7) of Section 2 shall be permitted, and members shall not play with stakes or for gain except games of skill; (iv) the petitioner shall ensure no unlawful play, failing which police may act against the petitioner and offenders in accordance with law; (v) jurisdictional police may visit the premises periodically or on information of unlawful activity; (vi) respondents shall not interfere with lawful recreational activities; and (vii) the order does not bar police action where members indulge in unlawful or immoral activities.

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IN THE HIGH COURT OF KARNATAKA AT BENGALURU

DATED THIS THE 13^TH DAY OF MARCH, 2026

BEFORE

THE HON'BLE MR. JUSTICE SACHIN SHANKAR MAGADUM

WRIT PETITION NO. 39074 OF 2025 (GM-POLICE)

BETWEEN:

KARNATAKA FAMILIES ASSOCIATION DOOR NO. 96, 29^TH MAIN ROAD. B.T.M.LAYOUT, 2^ND STAGE, NEXT ROYAL ENFILED SHOW ROOM, BENGALURU-560 076

PRESENTLY OPERATING AT SY.NO.164/1. ARASIKERE VILLAGE, NIDAGAL HOBLI, PAVAGADA TALUKREPRESENTED BY ITS PRESIDENT SRI.NAGARAJU.S S/O SIDDARAMAPPA KARANATAKA SOCIETIES REGISTRATION ACT

Digitally signed by CHAITHRA A Location: HIGH COURT OF KARNATAKA

(BY SRI. D T NANJESH GOWDA., ADVOCATE)

…PETITIONER

AND:

THE STATE OF KARNATAKA REPRESENTED BY ITS SECRETARY. DEPARTMENT OF HOME, VIDHANA SOUDHA, BENGALURU-560 001.

THE DIRECTOR GENERAL OF POLICE BANGALURU KARNATAKA STATE-560 001

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THE ADDL. DIRECTOR GENERAL OF POLICE LAW AND ORDER BANGALURU

KARNATAKA STATE-560 001

THE DIRECTOR GENERAL OF POLICE CENTRAL RANGE, BANGALURU-560 001.

THE SUPERINTEND OF POLICE TUMKUR TUMKUR DISTRICT-561 202

THE DEPUTY SUPERINTEND OF POLICE MADHUGIRI SUB DIVISION TUMKUR DISTRICT-572 132

THE CIRCLE INSPECTOR PAVAGADA RURAL TUMKUR DISTRICT-561 202

THE SUB INSPECTOR ARASIKERE POLICE STATION, PAVAGADA TALUK TUMKUR DISTRICT-561 202

…RESPONDENTS

(BY SRI. K.P. YOGANNA, AGA)

THIS WRIT PETITION FILED UNDER ARTICLES 226 AND 227 OF THE CONSTITUTION OF INDIA PRAYING TO I. ISSUE A WRIT IN THE NATURE OF MANDAMUS, DIRECTING THE RESPONDENTS NOT TO INSIST THE PETITIONER TO OBTAIN LICENSE OR PERMISSION UNDER KARNATAKA POLICE ACT OR UNDER LICENSING AND CONTROLLING OF PLACES OF PUBLIC AMUSEMENT FOR PLAYING OF SKILL GAMES LIKE CHESS, BILLIARDS/SNOOKER, CAROM, ELECTRONIC COIN GAMES, PENTASTIC-3, THREE DIES BOWLING, (IS NEWLY KNOWN AS SKILLED ELECTRONIC GAME) POKER, VIDEO GAME, WALL GAME, SIX COLOUR GAMES, RUMMY, ANDAR BAHAR (CARD

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GAME) ETC., AND OTHER INDOOR AND OUTDOOR GAMES, IN THE PREMISES OF THE PETITIONER-ASSOCIATION. II. ISSUE A WRIT IN THE NATURE OF MANDAMUS DIRECTING THE RESPONDENTS NOT TO INTERFERE WITH THE ACTIVITIES OF THE PETITIONER ASSOCIATION FOR THE RECREATION OF ITS MEMBERS BY PLAYING OF SKILL GAMES LIKE CHESS, BILLIARDS/SNOOKER, CAROM, ELECTRONIC COIN GAMES, PENTASTIC-3, THREE DIES BOWLING, (IS NEWLY KNOWN AS SKILLED ELECTRONIC GAME) POKER, VIDEO GAME. WALL GAME, SIX COLOUR GAMES, RUMMY, ANDAR BAHAR (CARD GAME) ETC., AND OTHER INDOOR AND OUTDOOR GAMES, IN THE PREMISES OF THE PETITIONER ASSOCIATION.

THIS PETITION, COMING ON FOR PRELIMINARY HEARING, THIS DAY, ORDER WAS MADE THEREIN AS UNDER:

CORAM: HON'BLE MR. JUSTICE SACHIN SHANKAR MAGADUM

ORAL ORDER

The petitioner – a Registered Recreation Association – has approached this Court under Articles 226 and 227 of

the Constitution of India seeking a writ of mandamus against respondents, restraining them from interfering with the lawful activities carried on by the Association. It is specifically contended that the activities of the petitioner-Association are confined to indoor recreational games such as Carom, Chess and Rummy etc., conducted in the name and style of Karnataka Families Association

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and that no unlawful or prohibited activities are being conducted in the premises.

It is the case of the petitioner that the

Association is a duly registered Society under the provisions of the Karnataka Societies Registration Act, 1960. The petitioner asserts that the Association has been established exclusively for recreational purposes and is functioning strictly in accordance with its bye-laws.

The grievance projected in the writ petition is that respondent – the jurisdictional Police Officer is repeatedly visiting the premises of the Association without any justifiable cause and is interfering with the peaceful conduct of indoor recreational activities. It is alleged that such interference has not only disrupted the functioning of the Club but has also resulted in intimidation and threats to discontinue the activities of the Association.

This Court in W.P. No.21010/2023, under similar circumstances, appropriate directions were issued by

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referring to the authoritative pronouncement of the Division Bench of this Court in D.V.R Recreation Club Vs State of Karnataka rendered in W.A.No.20090/2015 . In the light of the principles laid down by the Hon’ble Division Bench and the consistent view taken by this Court in subsequent matters, the present writ petition is disposed of with the following directions:

a. The petitioner shall install within a period of six weeks, CC TV cameras, at all the places of access to its members and also at all the places, wherein game/s is/are played by the members. The CC TV footage of at least prior 15 days’ period shall be made available by the petitioner, to the police, as and when called upon to do so.

b. The petitioner shall issue identity card(s) to all its member(s), which shall be produced by the member(s), when called upon by the police, during the raid(s) and surveillance etc.

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c. The petitioner shall not permit any activity by any of its member(s), by indulging in acts of amusement, falling within the definition of Sections.2(14) & 2(15) of the Karnataka Police Act, 1963 and shall not permit any game(s) of chance as per Explanation (II) of Sub-section (7) of Section 2 of Karnataka Police Act, 1963. The member(s) shall not be allowed to play any kind of game(s) with stakes or make any profit or gain out of the game(s) played, except games of skills.

d. The petitioner shall put proper mechanism in place and shall ensure that no game(s) is played in any unlawful manner by the member(s). If the police find that any of the game/s played is/are contrary to any law and in violation of the settled practice, it is open for them to take action against petitioner and the offenders, in accordance with law.

e. The jurisdictional police shall have liberty to visit premises periodically and/or on receipt of any information about any

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unlawful activity being carried on in the petitioner’s premises.

f. The respondents are directed not to interfere with the lawful recreational activities carried on by the members of the petitioner – Club/Association.

g. It is made clear that this order would not come in the way of the jurisdictional police invoking the provisions of the Act and taking action in accordance with law, if the member(s) of the petitioner are found to have indulged in any unlawful or immoral activities.

Ordered accordingly.

Sd/(SACHIN SHANKAR MAGADUM) JUDGE

NBM

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