PRAYAGRAJ, June 13 -- The Allahabad high court has directed the state government to constitute a high-powered committee to examine the need to have a law for the regulation and monitoring of online gaming and betting. The court noted that the existing Public Gambling Act, 1867 is a colonial-era law that addresses only conventional forms of gambling like card games. Justice Vinod Diwakar said the panel shall be headed by Professor KV Raju, the economic advisor to the Uttar Pradesh government, and may include the principal secretary, state tax, as member secretary, besides other experts as members. "Their collective input should be used to develop a comprehensive and well-structured legislative framework for regulating and monitoring online gaming and public betting," it ordered. The court passed the order while dealing with the petition moved by two persons - Imran Khan and another, who were accused in a case under the Public Gambling Act for quashing charges and trial proceedings against them. According to the police, the accused were running an online betting racket from their residence and earning crores of rupees, in Agra. "There is a lack of clarity on the legal status of fantasy sports, poker, and e-sports. Jurisdictional issues also arise, as online platforms operate across state, national, and international boundaries," the court said. Students are increasingly distracted by online gaming, often at the cost of their academic performance and family relationships. The disruption of sleep cycles, lack of discipline, and social withdrawal are common consequences," it added. "Till a robust legislative framework is enacted, recognising the digital nature of gaming and imposing clear regulatory safeguards, the fines and imprisonment terms may be revised in line with inflation and the scale of operations in Uttar Pradesh by bringing necessary amendments in the existing law, thereby making the offence non-cognizable," it added. Meanwhile, on the merits of the case against the accused, the court said that since it involved a non-cognizable offence, the police could not have probed it without an order of the magistrate. Accordingly, the court in its decision dated May 12, which came to light on Thursday, quashed the proceedings against the accused. However, the police were granted the liberty to initiate a fresh investigation after complying with the law....