IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE, ANDHRA PRADESH AT HYDERABAD (Special Original Jurisdiction) FRIDAY, THE TWENTY SIXTH DAY OF SEPTEMBER TWO THOUSAND AND EIGHT PRESENT THE HON'BLE MS JUSTICE G.ROHINI WRIT PETITION NO : 16101 of 2008 Between: Hanuman Cultural and Recreation Society, Rep. by its Secretary and Correspondent Y.Siva Rama Prasad Bapulapadu, Hanuman Junction, Krishna District. ..... PETITIONER AND 1 The Superintendent of Police, Krishna at Machilipatnam. 2 The Deputy Superintendent of Police, Nuzvid, Krishna District. 3 The Inspector of Police, Hanuman Junction P.S. , Krishna District. 4 The Sub-Inspector of Police, Hanuman Junction P.S. , Krishna District. .....RESPONDENT(S) Petition under Article 226 of the constitution of India praying that in the circumstances stated in the Aﬃdavit ﬁled herein the High Court will be pleased to to issue a writ order or direction more one in the nature of Writ of Mandamus declaring the action of the respondents in interfering with lawful activities of the petitioner Cultural Association including playing of game of rummy with 13 cards and syndicate in the petitioner's Cultural Association as illegal, arbitrary and unconstitutional and consequently direct the respsondents not to interfere with the lawful activities of the petitioner's Cultural Association including playing game of rummy with 13 cards and syndicate in the petitioner's cultural Association and pass such other order or orders. Counsel for the Petitioner:MR.M.SUBBA REDDY Counsel for the Respondent No.: GP FOR HOME The Court made the following : THE HON’BLE Ms. JUSTICE G.ROHINI WRIT PETITION NO.16101 OF 2008 ORDER : The petitioner seeks a Writ of Mandamus declaring the alleged action of the respondents in not permitting the petitioner Association to allow its members to play the game of Rummy as arbitrary and illegal. In response to Rule Nisi ordered, the 3rd respondent – Sub-Inspector of Police, Nagari P.S. ﬁled a counter-aﬃdavit denying all the allegations made by the petitioner and stating that the respondents never interfered with the lawful activities of the petitioner association. Heard the learned Counsel for the petitioner as well as the learned Government Pleader for Home appearing for the respondents. It is brought to my notice by the learned Counsel for both the parties that in similar circumstances, a Division Bench of this Court has clariﬁed the legal position in this regard in its judgment in W.A.No.1167 of 2002, dated 29-07-2002. The relevant portion may be extracted hereunder : “The police authorities cannot obstruct the writ petitioner-Club from conducing card room where the members and guests of the writ petitioner’s cultural center are allowed to play the game of rummy with stakes/syndicate (thirteen card game). At the same time, we make it clear that the police are always at liberty to enter the premises and check as to whether the cultural center of the Club is conducting card room where the members and guests of petitioner’s cultural center are playing the game or rummy with stakes / syndicate (thirteen card game), for the purpose of veriﬁcation. If they receive intimation, police may enter the Club and verify the same and proceed further if the members and guests of Writ Petitioner’s cultural center play other than the game of rummy with stakes / syndicate (thirteen card game). The police authorities are also at liberty to proceed with the cases, which are already registered.” Having regard to the stand taken by the respondents in their counter-aﬃdavit that they are not interfering with the lawful activities of the petitioner association and in the light of the above judgment of the Division Bench, the Writ Petition is disposed of in terms of the directions given in the judgment in W.A.No.1167 of 2002, dated 29-07-2002. However, it is made clear that the respondents are at liberty to take appropriate action against the members of the petitioner Association if they promote illegal activity at the premises of the petitioner Association. No costs. ______________ G. ROHINI, J. Dt. 26-09-2008. TSNR