Court rejects ‘matqa queen’ Jaya Chheda’s plea to dismiss gambling cases

The Bombay High Court on Wednesday rejected Jaya Chheda’s, also known as “matqa queen”, request to dismiss multiple FIRs and legal proceedings against her under the Maharashtra Prevention of Gambling Act, prompting Chheda to withdraw six of the 16 petitions she filed earlier in a Mumbai court.
Chheda’s lawyer, Taraq Sayed, argued last year that the cases against her were repetitive, as each involved the same set of accused. However, government attorney JP Yagnik pointed to witness statements and evidence allegedly linking Chheda to illegal gambling activities.
A bench comprising Justices Bharti Dangre and Manjusha Deshpande refused to grant relief, advising Chheda to seek discharge through the trial court.
Chheda’s advocate withdrew all six petitions but noted that one of the cases mentioned Chheda as uncharged, though the prosecution clarified that it was a mistake.
Initially, Chheda filed 16 petitions aiming to dismiss FIRs lodged between April and June 2022 under the Maharashtra Prevention of Gambling Act. Sayed argued that these FIRs, filed within two months across various police stations, were nearly identical and likely part of an extortion scheme by police officers. He noted that some officers involved are under departmental investigation.
Sayed also informed the court that in 10 of the 16 cases, the prosecution had previously stated there was no evidence to support the charges. Chheda now plans to pursue relief through the trial court.