K'taka: High Court upholds ban on lottery tickets

Bangalore, May 8: Karnataka High Court today upheld the ban on lottery imposed in the State budget for 2007-08, providing a shot in the arm for the JD(S)-BJP Government.

Justice Jaganath of the vacation bench, after hearing an interim appeal filed by the state government against the stay granted by a Justice Abdul Nazir, vacated the stay and upheld the ban. Justice Nazir granted the stay on a petition filed by the lottery agents against the ban, last month.

The Ban evoked widespread protest by the lottery agents and ticket sellers stating that the government's action has deprived thousands of people of their daily bread.

However, the lottery sellers decided to approach the Supreme Court against the verdict.

The Minister for Lottery and small savings Ramachandra Gowda, at a press conference recently, had even offered to quit if he failed to make Karnataka a lottery free state.

UNI