The two-week timeline given for the committee headed by Justice K Chandru to submit a report and recommend a strong law to be brought into as an ordinance to ban online gaming (rummy and other skill games) has come to an end on Saturday. However, there is no update on whether a report has been submitted or not.

S Ramadoss, the founder of the political party PMK in a series of tweets said new suicides are reported everywhere and immediate action needs to be taken by the state government.

ஆன்லைன் சூதாட்டத்தின் தீய விளைவுகளும், அதை தடை செய்ய வேண்டியதன் தேவைகளும் அரசால் ஏற்றுக்கொள்ளப்பட்டவை தான். தடை தாமதமாகும் ஒவ்வொரு நாளும் புதிய தற்கொலைகள் நிகழக்கூடும். வல்லுனர் குழு அமைக்கப்பட்ட பிறகு ஒருவர் தற்கொலை செய்து கொண்டதே இதற்கு சாட்சி!(2/3)#OnlineGamblingKills

— Dr S RAMADOSS (@drramadoss) June 26, 2022

Earlier, AIADMK leader and former Chief Minister E Palaniswami has demanded immediate promulgation of an ordinance to ban online gambling. In a series of tweets, the former CM asked how many more lives should be lost for the government to bring a ban on online gambling. He said doubts are now raised if the formation of a study committee is intended to delay the new law.

All the opposition parties in the state are united on the issue with even the ruling party affirming its commitment to enact a strong law. The ruling DMK has lambasted the AIADMK for enacting a weak law that could not stand the scrutiny of the courts. CM Stalin said the law will be enacted this time that can stand scrutiny by the courts.

The Justice Chandru committee will look into the financial losses incurred while playing the game, suicidal tendencies of people who lose money, analyse the ill-effects of online rummy through data, and the impact of the advertisements on people to play the game.

Earlier this month, the Tamil Nadu government announced that it will form a special investigation team to inquire into the death by suicide of persons who were caught in a debt trap by online gambling. A Superintendent of Police from the Crime Branch-Criminal Investigation Department (CB-CID) would lead the SIT.

Tamil Nadu DGP C. Sylendra Babu recently warned the public that playing online rummy could lead to debt and suicide. The top cop in an awareness video said the number of people losing money and jewellery due to online gaming has increased in the last few months.