Rummy not illegal, can’t be banned

The game of Rummy is not entirely a game of chance like the ‘3-card game.’ Rummy on the other hand requires a certain amount of skill. It is mainly and preponderantly a ‘game of skill.’ The chance in Rummy is of the same character as the chance in a deal at a ‘game of Bridge.

Supreme Court

Once again Rummy, a card game, has become a controversial issue as a consequence of ‘police action’ to impose ban on Rummy in several recreational clubs in Adilabad, Karimnagar and Nizamabad. According to police, the ban was imposed on the instructions of the government. Unfortunately, this ban is in violation of the orders of the Supreme Court as well as the AP High Court. The courts have clearly laid down that Rummy is a game of ‘skill,’ hence the Gambling Act is not applicable to it.

The police should have taken this to the attention of the higher-ups In Telangana, recreation clubs are registered as voluntary institutions. Many of them were established more than 70 years ago under the name of ‘Officers Clubs’ like Nizamabad Officers Club and Nirmal Officers Club. The Collector is the President while the SP is the Vice-President of these clubs in district headquarters. In other towns like Nirmal, the Dy. Collector is the President while DSP is the Vice-President. This pattern is continuing even today.

So these responsible officers are supposed to carry out the orders of the High Courts and Supreme Court without any reservations. But this is not case as at Nirmal Officers Club and Nizamabad Officers Club, a ban was imposed on Rummy recently.The Nirmal Club questioned by July 2014 order of the SP in September in the High Court and the High Court ordered the respondents “not to interfere with any card game of Rummy, whatever is the stakes being played in the club.”

At the Nizamabad Officers Club, Rummy was banned in 2007, but the club filed a case in the High Court and obtained orders to continue the game. In view these court orders, the police should not have put placed any ban on Rummy. In the State of AP Versus K Satyanarayana and others case in 1967, the Supreme Court passed a landmark judgement: “The game of Rummy is not entirely a game of chance like the ‘3-card game.’ Rummy on the other hand requires a certain amount of skill. It is mainly and preponderantly a ‘game of skill.’ The chance in Rummy is of the same character as the chance in a deal at a ‘game of Bridge.’”

It is therefore amazing how this decision has not received the attention of the present Telangana government, even though this decision was made in a case filed by the AP government. Under the circumstances stated here, the ban on Rummy constitutes ‘contempt of court’ which is a very serious matter. In this context we may refer to previous cases when two Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Sanjeeva Reddy and N Janardhan Reddy resigned due to adverse observations by the Supreme Court and the High Court. It is also significant to note that these CMs pleaded that they had not received proper advice from the officials.

In view of the past experience, the officials concerned should have apprised the Chief Minister, K Chandrashekar Rao, on the Supreme Court decision. After having narrated the high-handed conduct of the police, it is also necessary to point out the failure of clubs in registering strong protests against the ban. Instead of again going to the courts, the clubs could have passed resolutions protesting against the bank and making online representations to the Chief Minister and the Home Minister.

Members of the clubs should have chosen the path of protest rather than meekly accepting the unwritten police ban. It is assumed that had the Chief Minister known the orders of the Supreme Court, he would have taken care to avoid any kind of confrontation with the courts.

(The writer is a former Member of Parliament from Nizamabad, and can be reached at [email protected])

By M Narayan Reddy