He won 1.5 crore rupees on Dream11, a popular online fantasy gaming website. Somnath Zende, a police officer from Pimpri Chinchwad, started receiving the money in his account. But his happiness didn’t last long.

Now, there’s an investigation into whether a police officer can play such games while working in the police force. Zende said, “I thought I wouldn’t get any money, but when I made a 2 lakh rupees transaction, they took 60,000 rupees from it. So, I got 1.4 lakh rupees in my account.” Zende plans to use the money to pay off his home loan and invest the rest in fixed deposits. He’ll use the interest from these deposits to pay for his children’s education.

The police department is looking into whether it’s okay for an officer to play such games. They want to know if it follows the rules and if talking about the money received in the media is allowed. They’ve assigned Deputy Commissioner of Police Swapna Gore to investigate, and they’ll take action based on her report.

Dream11 is a gaming platform for various sports and is valued at over $1 billion. It has faced legal challenges because it’s similar to gambling. However, the company argues that the bets on its platform involve skill, not gambling.

A Supreme Court lawyer, Himanshu Shekhar, says fantasy leagues are recognized by the courts and are subject to taxes, so they are legal in India. There have been cases in different High Courts, but the Supreme Court has rejected them, confirming that fantasy games are games of skill and legal in the country. There are no significant restrictions on them.

In conclusion, the case of Somnath Zende winning 1.5 crore rupees on Dream11 has raised questions about whether police officers can engage in such online gaming while on duty. While Zende had initially rejoiced at his unexpected windfall, concerns emerged about the appropriateness of this activity. The investigation, led by Deputy Commissioner of Police Swapna Gore, will determine if it complies with regulations and if public discussion of such earnings is permissible.

Dream11, valued at over $1 billion, has faced legal scrutiny due to its resemblance to gambling. However, it asserts that its platform involves skill, not chance, and a Supreme Court lawyer supports this claim. The outcome of this investigation will shed light on the future of such fantasy gaming in India.