Feature
Big relief for Mohammed Shami as court stays arrest warrant
An Indian court on Monday ordered an interim stay on an arrest warrant against fast bowler Mohammed Shami after his estranged wife accused him of various crimes including assault and sexual harassment.
The cricketer was last week ordered to appear before a Kolkata court in 15 days or face arrest, after being charged by West Bengal police in March.
Shami’s lawyer Salim Rahman informed that the order was stayed on Monday by district judge Rai Chattopadhyay in Alipore Court for nearly two months. “It was a warrant more procedural in nature. The case was listed for further hearing on November 2,” Rahaman said.
“The order didn’t hold much ground because while you can summon a person, you cannot issue a surrender notice. We have got a stay on the matter from a higher court and the rest of the plan of action you will get to know tomorrow,” the lawyer was quoted as saying by IANS.
A senior BCCI official informed that Shami would return to India from the United States on September 12, and till then he was in touch with his lawyer Salim Rahaman. “Shami has gone to the US after the tour of the West Indies got over and he will be back in the country on the 12th. He has been in constant touch with his lawyer on the court matter and has also spoken to the relevant people within the board on the matter,” the official said.
Earlier, the BCCI made it clear that no action will be taken against the bowler till they see the charge sheet. While it was initially thought to be an arrest warrant, his lawyer had clarified that it was a note of surrender.
Shami has been locked in a protracted legal battle with his wife Hasin Jahan, a former model, since March 2018. She has publicly accused Shami of having numerous affairs and harassment.
The charges carry a maximum punishment of three years in jail. Shami has dismissed all the accusations as a campaign to defame him. Jahan has also accused Shami of corruption.
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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