Team Herald
PANJIM: The High Court of Bombay at Goa on Thursday dismissed the pleas of casino operators praying to waive the annual recurring fees during the closure of casinos due to Covid-19 pandemic.
The Division Bench comprising Justice Mahesh S Sonak and Justice Valmiki SA Menezes accepted the submission of the State government of waiving off the 12 per cent penal interest per annum and ordered the casinos to pay the entire principal amount within four weeks of the judgement.
The Court had earlier refused to grant any interim relief to the casino operators from paying annual recurring fees to the State government during the lockdown period. The casino operators had approached the High Court praying to waive the annual recurring fees (ARF) plus the 12 per cent penal interest summing up of Rs 321.66 crore during the closure of casinos during lockdown period.
On earlier hearings, the Court had declined to grant any interim relief to 11 petitioners from the payment of annual recurring fees. However, the Court had asked the government not to insist upon recovery of 12 per cent penal interest on the recurring fees.
The off-shore casino operators Delta Pleasure Cruises Company Pvt Ltd, Delta Corp Limited, Golden Peace Infrastructure Pvt Ltd, Golden Peace Hotels and Resorts Pvt Ltd, Goldfinch Resorts Pvt Ltd, Highstreet Cruises and Entertainment Pvt. Ltd, Goa Coastal Resorts and Recreation Pvt Ltd, Goan Hotels and Realty Pvt Ltd and Golden Globe Hotels Pvt Ltd had filed writ petitions seeking to waive annual recurring fees for the financial year 2020-2021 and from May 1, 2021 to September 30, 2021 due to Covid-19 pandemic as their casinos remained closed.
