IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE, ANDHRA PRADESH AT HYDERABAD (Special Original Jurisdiction) WEDNESDAY, THE ELEVENTH DAY OF SEPTEMBER TWO THOUSAND AND NINE PRESENT: THE HON'BLE SRI JUSTICE GOPALA KRISHNA TAMADA WRIT PETITION No.19389 of 2009 Between: Dibbalapalem Sri Maha Lakshmi Cultural Association, Rep. by its President Subhash Chandra Bose S/o.Venkatadri, Dibbalapalem, Anandapuram Mandal, Visakhapatnam District. ... Petitioner And The Commissioner of Police, Visakhapatnam and Others. …. Respondents THE HON’BLE SRI JUSTICE GOPALA KRISHNA TAMADA WRIT PETITION NO.19389 OF 2009 ORDER: The petitioner, which is a club, approached this court and filed the present writ petition aggrieved by the interference by the respondents preventing its members from playing Rummy, which is a game of skill, with stakes or in syndicate. 2. Heard both sides. 3. Every club maintains a card roof and the members of the club are allowed to play game called ‘Rummy’ with 13 cards, which is considered to be a game of skill but not a game of choice. So long as the members of the club play any game of skill, they shall not be prevented from playing such games. It is only when the members play games of choice, then, it shall be objected to and the police got a right to stop such illegal activities. In the light of the same, this court is of the view that this writ petition can be disposed of with a direction to the respondent authorities not to interfere with the activities of the petitioner club. 4. Accordingly, this Writ Petition is disposed of at the stage of admission with a direction to the respondent authorities not to interfere with the activities of the petitioner-Club so long as the members of the petitioner-Club are playing Rummy, a 13 cards game, which is a game of skill. However, this order does not preclude the respondent authorities to interfere with the activities of the petitioner if the members of the petitioner-Club are indulging in the activity of playing the games of choice. No order as to costs. _________________________ GOPALA KRISHNA TAMADA, J September 11, 2009 KTL/KVSN