Karnataka HC declares ED arrest of Gameskraft founders illegal, orders release
17 Jun 2026, 05:36 PMThe ED had arrested the three founders on May 8 following searches at multiple locations linked to Gameskraft and its executives.
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The Karnataka High Court has declared the arrest of Gameskraft founders Deepak Singh, Prithviraj Singh and Vikas Taneja by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) illegal and ordered their immediate release.
Justice M Nagaprasanna ruled that the arrests were contrary to law while hearing petitions filed by the founders challenging their detention under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA). A detailed copy of the judgment is awaited.
The ED had arrested the three founders on May 8 following searches at multiple locations linked to Gameskraft and its executives across Karnataka and the National Capital Region. The agency's investigation stems from multiple FIRs alleging cheating, fraud and other offences linked to the company's real-money gaming operations.
The court order comes weeks after the ED intensified its action against the company. In May, the agency froze deposits worth Rs 526 crore and arrested the founders as part of a money laundering investigation into Gameskraft's gaming platforms, including RummyCulture and RummyTime. According to the ED, the probe uncovered alleged violations linked to the company's online gaming business.
The case has emerged as one of the highest-profile enforcement actions against India's online gaming sector, which has faced increased regulatory and legal scrutiny over real-money gaming models in recent years.
The Head and Tale mapped companies that have landed on the ED's radar amid an expanding crackdown on alleged online gaming fraud, money laundering and regulatory violations.
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