Section 237: Police may be authorised to enter gaming houses, etc.

(1) A superior police officer or an administrative officer in charge of police, if he has
reasonable grounds for believing that any house, room or place is kept as a common
gaming house, may by order in writing authorise any police officer to enter and search
such house, room or place at any time and if necessary, to use force for the purpose of
effecting such entry, whether by breaking open doors or otherwise, and to arrest all
persons who shall be found therein, and to seize all instruments of gaming found in
such house or premises and to seize all money found therein.
Obstructing entry of police to be evidence of unlawful gaming
(2) Where a police officer so authorised to enter any house, room or place is wilfully
prevented from or obstructed or delayed in entering the same or any part thereof, or
where any external or internal door of, or means of access to, any such house, room or
place shall be found to be fitted or provided with any bolt, bar, chains or any means or
contrivance for the purpose of preventing, delaying or obstructing the entry into the
same or any part thereof of any police officer authorised as aforesaid or for giving an
alarm in the case of such entry, or if any such house, room or place is found fitted or
provided with any means or contrivance for unlawful gaming or with any means of
contrivance for concealing, removing or destroying any instruments of gaming, it shall
be evidence until the contrary be proved, that such house, room or place is used as a
common gaming house within the meaning of section 236 of this Code and that the
persons found therein were unlawfully playing therein.