This week in Indian law: Parliament passed the Online Gaming Regulation Bill, establishing India's first comprehensive framework for the gaming industry. The Supreme Court ruled that WhatsApp-based police notices are invalid under Section 35 of the BNSS. The Court also recalled its own Bhushan Power liquidation order, reopening IBC resolution proceedings. SEBI mandated a digital audit lifecycle platform for stock brokers. 11 significant legal developments this week across legislative reform, criminal procedure, corporate insolvency, and securities regulation.
Top story
Parliament Passes Online Gaming Regulation Bill
Category: Legislative & Policy | Date: 30 July 2025 | Source: Parliament of India
Parliament passed the Online Gaming Regulation Bill 2025, establishing India's first comprehensive statutory framework for the online gaming industry. The legislation draws a clear distinction between skill-based games — which will be regulated under a licensing regime — and games of chance, betting, and gambling, which remain prohibited. The Bill creates a self-regulatory organization model with government oversight, mandates player protection measures including deposit limits and self-exclusion mechanisms, and requires all online gaming platforms operating in India to register with the designated regulatory authority. The legislation also addresses taxation clarity for the gaming industry, resolving a long-standing ambiguity.
Why it matters: India's online gaming industry, valued at over USD 3 billion, has operated in a regulatory grey zone. This legislation provides legal certainty for operators, investors, and state governments while establishing consumer protection safeguards.
Read more: Veritect analysis
Court judgments
SC Holds WhatsApp Police Notices Invalid Under Section 35 BNSS
Court: Supreme Court of India | Date: 31 July 2025
The Supreme Court held that police notices served via WhatsApp do not satisfy the requirements of Section 35 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), which prescribes specific methods of service for summons and notices during investigation. The Court observed that while digital communication may be convenient, the legislature has mandated particular modes of service to ensure due process, and investigative agencies cannot substitute informal messaging platforms for formal notice requirements.
Key point: Investigative agencies must use formal service methods prescribed under the BNSS; information or confessions obtained pursuant to WhatsApp-served notices may face admissibility challenges.
Supreme Court of India · Veritect analysis
SC Recalls Bhushan Power Liquidation Order, Rehears JSW Plan
Court: Supreme Court of India | Date: 31 July 2025
In a significant development for IBC jurisprudence, the Supreme Court exercised its power under Article 137 to recall its earlier order directing liquidation of Bhushan Power & Steel Ltd and agreed to rehear JSW Steel's resolution plan. The Court acknowledged that the interests of creditors and the going-concern value of the corporate debtor warranted reconsideration of the resolution route over liquidation.
Key point: The recall order reinforces the IBC's resolution-over-liquidation principle and signals the Court's willingness to preserve going-concern value even at the cost of revisiting its own earlier orders.
Supreme Court of India · Veritect analysis
Regulatory updates
SEBI Mandates Digital Audit Lifecycle Platform for Stock Brokers
Regulator: SEBI | Date: 31 July 2025
SEBI issued a circular mandating all stock brokers to implement a digital audit lifecycle platform for conducting and reporting internal and compliance audits. The platform must enable end-to-end digital audit trails, automated compliance checklists, and real-time reporting to the regulator.
Key point: Stock brokers must implement the digital audit platform by the end of Q3 FY26, with interim reporting requirements commencing immediately.
SEBI Mandates Digital Accessibility for Regulated Entities
Regulator: SEBI | Date: 31 July 2025
SEBI reiterated its digital accessibility mandate, requiring all regulated entities to ensure their digital platforms, websites, and mobile applications are accessible to persons with disabilities in compliance with applicable standards.
Key point: SEBI is treating digital accessibility as a core compliance requirement, not an optional enhancement.
Also this week
- Mines and Minerals Amendment Act 2025 — Parliament expands state powers over mineral resources, introduces auction-based allocation. Veritect analysis
- Merchant Shipping Bill advances — Lok Sabha advances the bill to modernise India's maritime governance framework. Veritect analysis
- Coastal Shipping Bill 2025 passed — Parliament clears legislation to unlock India's coastal maritime trade potential. Veritect analysis
By the numbers
- USD 3 billion+ — Estimated value of India's online gaming industry now under statutory regulation
- Article 137 — The constitutional provision invoked by the SC to recall its own Bhushan Power liquidation order
- Section 35 BNSS — The new criminal code provision held to require formal notice service, not WhatsApp
Looking ahead
- First week of August: Income Tax Bill 2025 expected to be taken up for final passage
- August deadline: SEBI cybersecurity framework (CSCRF) compliance
- August: Further legislative action on the Merchant Shipping Bill and Coastal Shipping Bill
This is the Veritect Weekly Legal Roundup for Week 31 of 2025. For daily updates, visit our legal news page. Subscribe to receive this roundup every Monday morning.
Veritect provides this content for informational purposes and does not constitute legal advice.