​Yes, the Supreme Court of India is currently considering whether match-fixing constitutes a criminal offense under Section 420 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), which pertains to cheating and dishonestly inducing delivery of property. The court’s deliberations stem from a 2019 case involving the Karnataka Premier League (KPL), where players allegedly received money from bookies to deliberately underperform, leading to a loss for their team.​

In January 2022, the Karnataka High Court quashed the charges against the accused, stating that match-fixing did not amount to cheating under Section 420 IPC. The High Court reasoned that while match-fixing may indicate dishonesty and indiscipline, it did not meet the legal criteria for cheating, as it did not involve deception leading to the delivery of property or alteration of valuable security .​

The Karnataka government challenged this decision in the Supreme Court. On April 22, 2025, the Supreme Court expressed concern over the serious financial implications of match-fixing and appointed Advocate Shivam Singh as amicus curiae to assist in the matter. The court directed the central government to file its response within four weeks on measures to curb betting and match-fixing in T20 cricket tournaments .​

The Supreme Court is set to hear the case further on July 27, 2025.

Sources