Feature
SC directs woman to bring back her fugitive daughter-in-law to India
New Delhi: The Supreme Court today refused to release the attached properties of the mother-in-law of an absconding businesswoman, who is currently residing in London, saying she should first bring her daughter-in-law back to India.
The top court asked the 75-years-old woman to first bring her daughter-in-law Ritika Awasty, a promoter of Bush Foods Overseas Pvt Ltd, back to India and then it would consider releasing her properties.
“We are not going to release the attached properties unless you bring her back. Ask her to come back to India and we will release the properties,” a bench of Justices Arun Mishra and Navin Sinha said.
Additional Solicitor General Pinky Anand appearing for the Centre said the government has made an extradition request to the United Kindom with regard to Awasty.
Senior advocate C U Singh appearing for Awasty’s mother-in-law said her properties at New Delhi were also attached by the authorities and she has no other place to go.
He urged the court to release her residential property which was attached on the order of the apex court on December 15 last year to compel Awasty’s return from London.
The bench, however, posted the matter for further hearing on April 5.
On January 29, the apex court had said that Awasty, will have to face the “wrath of law” and it will take “all possible steps” to get her back.
Awasty, is facing trial in Uttar Pradesh on charges of cheating, forgery and criminal breach of trust and has been evading arrest after she was allowed by the top court to go to London.
The court had said it will leave no stone unturned to bring back the businesswoman, stressing she cannot be allowed to get away after breaching the court’s order.
SC guides woman to bring back her absconding daughter-in-law to India:
The court, had said, “You will have to get her back. Speak to her and ask her to come back. We can modify our order but only after she comes back. Ask her to behave like a good daughter-in-law.”
On December 15 last year, the apex court had asked the Centre and Uttar Pradesh government to expeditiously complete proceedings to declare the businesswoman a proclaimed offender and attach her properties in India.
It had said since her bail had been cancelled by the court after she failed to return to India from the United Kingdom, the proceedings to declare her a proclaimed offender should be completed expeditiously.
Awasty was allowed by the apex court to travel to London to see her husband and daughter in January 2016 after giving an undertaking that she will return by March 31, 2016.
However, the period was later extended till May 31, 2016, but she did not return from London which compelled the apex court to forfeit her security of Rs 86 lakh, cancel her bail and initiate contempt proceedings.
Awasty had challenged the Allahabad High Court order refusing to quash the FIR lodged against her but was granted bail and allowed to travel abroad by the apex court on an undertaking for looking after her husband and daughter in London.
The court had also revoked her passport after she failed to return to India by May 31, 2016.
On September 12, the court had directed the Centre to take appropriate steps within two weeks thereafter for extradition with the Crown Prosecution Services and sought details of her properties in India.
It had also asked the Centre to submit the income tax returns of Awasty and her husband.
On August 29, 2016, the apex court had said that it was “prima facie satisfied” that Awasty had “committed contempt of this court by breaching the directions issued by the court, as also, violating the undertaking given to this court”.
The State Scores Extra High on Gaming-Friendly Industry Index
Meghalaya scored 92.85 out of 100 possible points in a Gaming Industry Index and proved to be India’s most gaming-friendly state following its recent profound legislation changes over the field allowing land-based and online gaming, including games of chance, under a licensing regime.
The index by the UK India Business Council (UKIBC) uses a scale of 0 to 100 to measure the level of legalisation on gambling and betting achieved by a state based on the scores over a set of seven different games – lottery, horse racing, betting on sports, poker, rummy, casino and fantasy sports
Starting from February last year, Meghalaya became the third state in India’s northeast to legalise gambling and betting after Sikkim and Nagaland. After consultations with the UKIBC, the state proceeded with the adoption of the Meghalaya Regulation of Gaming Act, 2021 and the nullification of the Meghalaya Prevention of Gambling Act, 1970. Subsequently in December, the Meghalaya Regulation of Gaming Rules, 2021 were notified and came into force.
All for the Tourists
The move to legalise and license various forms of offline and online betting and gambling in Meghalaya is aimed at boosting tourism and creating jobs, and altogether raising taxation revenues for the northeastern state. At the same time, the opportunities to bet and gamble legally will be reserved only for tourists and visitors.
“We came out with a Gaming Act and subsequently framed the Regulation of Gaming Rules, 2021. The government will accordingly issue licenses to operate games of skill and chance, both online and offline,” said James P. K. Sangma, Meghalaya State Law and Taxation Minister speaking in the capital city of Shillong. “But the legalized gambling and gaming will only be for tourists and not residents of Meghalaya,” he continued.
To be allowed to play, tourists and people visiting the state for work or business purposes will have to prove their non-resident status by presenting appropriate documents, in a process similar to a bank KYC (Know Your Customer) procedure.
Meghalaya Reaches Out to a Vast Market
With 140 millions of people in India estimated to bet regularly on sports, and a total of 370 million desi bettors around prominent sporting events, as per data from one of the latest reports by Esse N Videri, Meghalaya is set to reach out and take a piece of a vast market.
Estimates on the financial value of India’s sports betting market, combined across all types of offline channels and online sports and cricket predictions and betting platforms, speak about amounts between $130 and $150 billion (roughly between ₹9.7 and ₹11.5 lakh crore).
Andhra Pradesh, Telangana and Delhi are shown to deliver the highest number of bettors and Meghalaya can count on substantial tourists flow from their betting circles. The sports betting communities of Karnataka, Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh and Haryana are also not to be underestimated.
Among the sports, cricket is most popular, registering 68 percent of the total bet count analyzed by Esse N Videri. Football takes second position with 11 percent of the bets, followed by betting on FIFA at 7 percent and on eCricket at 5 percent. The last position in the Top 5 of popular sports for betting in India is taken by tennis with 3 percent of the bet count.
Local Citizens will Still have Their Teer Betting
Meghalaya residents will still be permitted to participate in teer betting over arrow-shooting results. Teer is a traditional method of gambling, somewhat similar to a lottery draw, and held under the rules of the Meghalaya Regulation of the Game of Arrow Shooting and the Sale of Teer Tickets Act, 2018.
Teer includes bettors wagering on the number of arrows that reach the target which is placed about 50 meters away from a team of 20 archers positioned in a semicircle.
The archers shoot volleys of arrows at the target for ten minutes, and players place their bets choosing a number between 0 and 99 trying to guess the last two digits of the number of arrows that successfully pierce the target.
If, for example, the number of hits is 256, anyone who has bet on 56 wins an amount eight times bigger than their wager.
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