Chandigarh, Mar 26 (PTI) The Haryana Assembly on Wednesday passed a bill for the prevention of public gambling that proposes jail terms for those indulging in match-fixing or spot-fixing in sports.
The House also passed another bill that makes a person “who uses a dead body for remonstration” punishable with imprisonment for a term of six months up to three years, besides a fine of up to Rs one lakh.
The Haryana Prevention of Public Gambling Bill, 2025, was introduced in the House on March 18 and taken up for discussion and passage on Wednesday.
According to the provisions of the bill, whoever indulges in gambling at a public place or in a common gambling house or is found therein, shall be liable for imprisonment which may extend to one year or with a fine up to Rs 10,000 or with both.
The owner, occupier or keeper of a common gambling house or who indulges in financing, directly or indirectly for the operation of a common gambling house shall be liable to imprisonment for a term which shall not be less than three years but which may extend to five years and also shall be liable to fine upto Rs 1 lakh.
Whoever indulges in match-fixing or spot-fixing in sports, shall be liable to imprisonment for a term which shall not be less than three years and may extend to five years and shall also be liable to a fine which shall not be less than Rs 5 lakh.
A member of an organised gambling syndicate shall be liable to rigorous imprisonment for a term which shall not be less than three years but which may extend to five years and shall also be liable to a fine of Rs 5 lakh.
Anyone found indulging in gambling or any other offence under the Act shall be liable to imprisonment for a term up to three years or a fine of Rs 10,000 or both if a person refuses to reveal his identity or gives a false identity.
Any executive magistrate or gazetted officer of police having jurisdiction shall have the power to authorise a police officer not below the rank of a sub-inspector to enter and search any place and all such persons, upon receipt of credible information or after such enquiry, as he may think necessary that offence under this Act has been or is being committed.
Such police officers may arrest any person without a warrant and also seize all articles and money etc, which are found therein and being used for the purpose of gambling.
Speaking on the bill, Congress’ Kaithal MLA Aditya Surjewala claimed the law is deeply flawed, bad in its drafting and has many shortcomings.
The government should refer it to a Select Committee of the House, he demanded.
Surjewala, while referring to one of the Sections in the bill, said it does not include betting of various kinds.
Instruments of gaming such as gaming boards, cards, and dice have not been defined in the law, he claimed, while adding the laws of some other states should also be looked into and the bill should be referred to the Select Committee of the Assembly.
This bill was among the four passed by the Assembly on Wednesday evening.
The other bills included the Haryana Honourable Disposal of Dead Body Bill, 2025.
No family member shall himself use or allow the dead body to be used or instigate or give consent to any other person or group of persons to use the body for remonstration of any kind, according to the Bill.
Any person who uses the dead body for remonstration shall be punishable with imprisonment for a term which shall not be less than six months but which may extend to three years and shall also be liable to a fine up to one lakh rupees.
The statement of objects and reasons of the Bill state that the Bill provides for decent and timely last rites of a body and in case of family members disowning the body and thereby depriving it of last rites, performing of last rites by the public authority.
Congress MLA B B Batra said Section 6 in the Bill empowers a police officer to take possession of dead bodies if he has reason to believe from personal knowledge or otherwise that it is likely to be used by a family member or a group of persons for remonstration.
“What is the expression ‘personal knowledge’ of the officer,” Batra said, demanding the word be removed.
Congress MLA Geeta Bhukkal said a family that loses a member due to any reason does not wish to place the body of their loved one on roads for protest.
She said the grieving families should not be subjected to having to mourn the loss of their loved one on one hand and to deal with police at the same time.
After various suggestions were made by the opposition Congress members, party leader Bhupinder Singh Hooda demanded that the bill be referred to the House Select Committee. PTI SUN RT RT
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