Staff Reporter
GUWAHATI: The lottery ban still persists in the state. However, a division bench of the Gauhati High Court said that petitioners are at liberty to move appropriate representation before the authorities concerned in the state government seeking permission to organise a lottery/lucky coupon draw on the eve of Howly Raas Mohotsav. If any such application is moved by the petitioners, it is expected that the state government will consider and decide the same expeditiously, taking into consideration the provisions of the Lotteries (Regulation) Act, 1998, and the Lotteries (Regulation) Rules, 2010, the bench ruled.
The high court said this after hearing a writ petition (WP(C)/5449/2024) filed by petitioners under Article 226 of the Constitution of India, essentially with the prayer to modify the order of October 3, 2024, passed in PIL No. 29/2024, whereby this Court issued direction to the state authorities to take action against any off-line or online lottery found to be organised illegally in Assam.
"Prima facie, we are of the view that for modification or vacation of the order passed by this Court while exercising writ jurisdiction, the appropriate course is to move an application by the aggrieved party for modification or vacation of the order," the court said.
At this stage, Mr. K.N. Choudhury, senior counsel, submitted that he may be allowed to withdraw this writ petition. However, he seeks liberty for the petitioners to approach the authorities concerned in the state government with the prayer to allow them to organise a lottery/lucky coupon draw at Howly Raax.
Mohotsav is organised by the Howly Raax Mohotsav Udjapan Samity.
In view of the above, this writ petition is dismissed as withdrawn.
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