A three-judge bench of the Supreme Court issued notice staying a lower court ruling that was favorable to fantasy sports platform Dream11, and indicating their intention to take up the case themselves, probably in April.
The Supreme Court was responding to an appeal filed by the Maharashtra state government to an earlier judgement by the Bombay High Court.
The bench expressed serious displeasure at the haste and manner with which the judgment of the Bombay High Court had been given, within a span of less than three working days, and without hearing any of the other parties.
However, the bench did not, for the moment, decide on an application filed by social activist Avinash Mehrotra, who has claimed that Dream11 is not a game of skill and amounts to betting and gambling. That question, as well as the accusation that Dream11 has not been paying the correct amount of taxes, are matters that the court will take up.
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