Karnataka High Court permits Bangalore Turf Club to go ahead with horse racing and betting activities

Bangalore Turf Club given green signal by Karnataka High Court to conduct horse racing amidst legal battle with State government.

In a relief to the Bangalore Turf Club (BTC), the High Court of Karnataka on Tuesday (June 18) stayed the Karnataka government’s decision of refusing to grant licence for the BTC to conduct horse racing as per the fixtures for June-August racing season.

The Court also permitted the BTC to conduct on-course and off-course racing and betting activities as per the schedule of racing submitted to the government along with its application seeking licence, and by adhering to the provisions of the law and the conditions imposed on it by the government in its earlier licence granted for the races conducted in March this year.

Justice S.R. Krishna Kumar passed the interim order on the petition filed by the BTC, questioning the June 6 order passed by the government in rejecting the applications filed by the BTC seeking licence for racing fixtures of the year 2024-25.

The competent authorities of the government had rejected the applications for the reason that there was violation of the condition of licence, applicable Rules and Statutes, and illegal betting, constituting criminal activity on the premises of BTC. The competent authorities had also cited the chargesheet filed against certain book makers for evading payment of tax and illegally collecting betting amount in the premises of BTC and further investigation being carried by the Central Crime Branch, Bengaluru in this regard.

Initially, the BTC had moved the Court on May 20 complaining non-consideration of its applications for licence by the government. The BTC had said that though the CCB was conducting investigation since January, 2024, the government had granted licence till the end of March 2024 and thereafter did not act on the applications for the racing reasons beginning from April 1, 2024.

Following this, the Court on May 23 directed the government to take a decision by June 6 on the applications filed by the BTC. The Finance Department and the Home Department, in their separate orders passed on June 6, had rejected the applications citing criminal case. This action resulted in the BTC amending its petition, with court’s permission, challenging the legality of the rejection.

It was argued on behalf of the BTC that the government could not have denied licence due to mere filling of chargesheet against some bookmakers and a few other persons as the BTC has not been arraigned as an accused in the chargesheet.