Probo founders knock on Punjab & Haryana HC’s door over FIR
The FIR names Probo directors Ashish Garg, Sachin Subashchandra Gupta, and Shweta Sharma, invoking Section 13 of the Public Gambling Act, 1867 (pertaining to gambling in streets), and Section 318(4) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), 2023, related to cheating and dishonest delivery of property.
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The Punjab and Haryana High Court is scheduled to hear on Saturday a petition filed by the founders of Probo Media Technologies Private Limited seeking to quash a First Information Report (FIR) registered against its directors for alleged involvement in gambling and cheating activities.
The FIR, lodged on March 25, 2025, at Sector 50 police station in Gurugram, was based on a complaint by Gurugram resident Abhishek Jain. In his complaint, Jain alleged he lost ₹20,000 while using the Probo app, which allows users to wager on the outcome of real-world events via simple “Yes” or “No” questions. He claimed the app induced him into gambling under the guise of “opinion trading.”
The FIR names Probo directors Ashish Garg, Sachin Subashchandra Gupta, and Shweta Sharma, invoking Section 13 of the Public Gambling Act, 1867 (pertaining to gambling in streets), and Section 318(4) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), 2023, related to cheating and dishonest delivery of property.
Probo has come under intense scrutiny across several jurisdictions. On May 21, the Haryana government notified a new anti-gambling law that explicitly seeks to include opinion trading platforms like Probo under its purview. In parallel, the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) issued a public advisory stating that such apps fall outside its regulatory domain and cautioning users against participation.
While the Mumbai police filed a chargesheet against Probo and two of its directors—Gupta and Garg—who are currently out on bail of ₹5,000 each. The Bombay High Court, which is hearing their petition to quash the charges, has stayed the trial proceedings for now.
The Directorate General of GST Intelligence (DGGI) has also issued a showcause notice worth approximately ₹1,500 crore against Probo for alleged tax evasion related to betting and gambling services. The DGGI has reportedly frozen 50% of the company’s bank balances and assets pending adjudication.
Crackdowns are mounting beyond Haryana. The Chhattisgarh government recently ordered the geo-blocking of Probo, TradeX, and SportsBaazi within the state for violating its gambling laws. This directive was upheld by the Chhattisgarh High Court, which permitted the platforms to operate elsewhere in India but barred access within state limits.
Further complicating the legal troubles, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) launched a search operation on July 8 and 9 under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002. The searches targeted four locations in Gurugram and Jind, Haryana, focusing on Probo's promoters Ashish Garg and Sachin Subashchandra Gupta. These actions stem from multiple FIRs registered in Gurugram, Palwal, and Agra under provisions of the BNS and the Public Gambling Act.
Earlier in June 2025, the Supreme Court denied interim relief to Probo in a case involving the freezing of its accounts by state authorities, directing the company to seek recourse before the Punjab and Haryana High Court.
Meanwhile, the Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT) has called for a nationwide ban on opinion trading apps. In a formal appeal to Union Ministers Ashwini Vaishnaw and Piyush Goyal, CAIT labeled such platforms as "digital satta" and warned of their potential harm to the financial wellbeing of consumers.
On July 18, the Supreme Court has transferred to itself a clutch of Public Interest Litigations (PILs) pending in various High Courts, challenging opinion trading platforms. With this, all related matters will come under the apex court's direct consideration.
A slew of PILs have been filed at the Bombay, Gujarat, and Chhattisgarh high courts, arguing that opinion trading platforms are similar to betting and gambling.
