UPDATE: SC adjourns rummy for stakes matter to 26th November, bench likely to change

Exclusive The Supreme Court today adjourned the high-profile Mahalakshmi Cultural Association matter (Special Leave Petitions of online rummy companies are also tagged along with the matter) listed for hearing today to 26th November without hearing any oral arguments.Earlier, a Supreme Court bench comprising of Justices FM Ibrahim Kalifulla and Shiva Kirti Singh had impleaded the Union of India as a party to the matter to get a clear picture about constitutional and statutory implications such as the Public Gambling Act and Prevention of Money Laundering Act.

On 25th September 2014, the Centre through Additional Solicitor General L Nageswara Rao had indicated that gambling falls exclusively within the domain of state legislatures by virtue of Entry 34 of List II (Seventh Schedule) of the Constitution and hence Centre was not inclined to interfere in the matter.Further, Rao had recused himself from the matter as he had represented Mahalakshmi Cultural Association in the past. The Supreme Court had  then asked the Centre to file a formal reply and listed the matter for hearing today.

Sources familiar with the matter also indicated that the bench comprising of Justices Kalifulla and Singh was likely to change by the next hearing and a new bench may to be constituted to continue the hearing on 26th November.The matter was initially heard by a bench comprising of Justices Kalifulla and Deepak Verma which passed an interim order staying the Division Bench judgment of the Madras High Court in May 2012. However Justice Shiva Kirti Singh had replaced Justice Verma on the bench after the latter’s retirement.