THE HON'BLE SRI JUSTICE RAMESH RANGANATHAN WRIT PETITION No.26505 OF 2011 ORDER: This Writ Petition is filed to declare the action of the respondents in closing down the petitioner town hall (club) on the ground that it is a social evil, and its activities are casting a slur on the image of the police and the Government, as arbitrary, illegal and unconstitutional. A consequential direction is sought to the respondents to permit the petitioner to organize and conduct the game of “Rummy” (a 13 cards game), with stakes in the club premises at Door Nos.41-2-30 and 41-2- 31/1, Anand Kumar Road, Palakol, West Godavari District. The petitioner’s case in brief is that they are a Society registered under the Societies Registration Act, 1860, carrying on cultural and sports activities including Carroms, Chess, Rummy, Tennis etc; it has 400 life members and 100 temporary members; and it has Library, Tennis Court, Shuttle Court, Billiards – cum – Table Tennis room, Chess room and four cards room. The petitioner club is said to be situated adjacent to the Court building. Reference is made to an earlier Writ Petition filed by the petitioner club i.e., W.P.No.8574 of 2003, and to the Contempt Case filed for non-compliance of the orders passed therein. Reference is also made to Crime No.6 of 2011 registered against members of the petitioner club including the Counsel appearing before this Court on behalf of the petitioner club. In the counter affidavit, reference is made by the respondents to the criminal proceedings instituted against several members of the petitioner club including the Counsel appearing on their behalf. A reply affidavit is filed wherein allegations are made against some police officers for having instituted the criminal case. Since the relief sought for in this Writ Petition relates to closure of the petitioner club, and their being barred from playing 13 cards game, it is wholly unnecessary to examine the contentions urged by Counsel on either side regarding the circumstances in which criminal cases were initiated against members of the petitioner club, or to the role of the police officials in this regard. Counsel, appearing on either side, would agree that the subject matter of this writ petition is covered by the order in W.P.No.24533 of 2011 and batch dated 09.09.2011 wherein this Court, while directing the respondents not to interfere with any card game of Rummy (a 13 cards game), whatever be the stakes, being played in the clubs, observed that the respondents were not precluded from entering into these clubs, from taking action in terms of Section 5 of the Andhra Pradesh Gaming Act, 1974 (for short, “the Act”) and, thereafter, to initiate penal proceedings under Sections 3 and 4 for violation of the provisions of the Act. This Court made it clear that the petitioner clubs should cause no hindrance to the respondents in exercising their statutory powers under Section 5 or any other provisions of the Act. The Writ Petition is also disposed of in accordance with, and in terms of, the order passed in W.P.No.24533 of 2011 and batch dated 09.09.2011. However, in the circumstances, without costs. _____________________________ RAMESH RANGANATHAN, J October 12, 2011 Note: Issue C.C. in one week. B/O.MD THE HON'BLE SRI JUSTICE RAMESH RANGANATHAN WRIT PETITION No.26505 OF 2011 October 12, 2011 MD