Guwahati, Oct 10: The Gauhati High Court has directed the Assam government to file its response to a public interest litigation (PIL) in six weeks, stating how it was proceeding to tackle the illegal organisation of offline or online lotteries in Assam.
The court gave the directive while hearing a PIL raising an issue regarding the illegal organisation of offline and online lotteries in various districts of Assam.
“It is noticed that till date no response is filed on behalf of the state to counter this PIL though counter affidavits have been filed on behalf of some of the district commissioners, who are impleaded as party respondents in this PIL petition,” the High Court noted.
“We are of the view that the state government is required to file its response by way of counter affidavit in this PIL petition stating therein as to how the state government is proceeding to tackle the illegal organisation of offline/online lotteries in the state of Assam,” the Court directed.
The Court granted six weeks’ time to the state government to file the counter to the writ petition.
“In the meantime, the state government shall issue direction to all the district commissioners, including the superintendents of police of all the districts of Assam not to grant any permission to any individual/organisation for organising offline/online lotteries and in case any such offline or online lotteries are found to be organised illegally, the concerned superintendent of police shall take immediate action against those persons/organisers in accordance with law,” it stated.
During the hearing, the Amicus Curiae informed the Court that as per the Lotteries (Regulation) Act, 1998 and the Lotteries (Regulation) Rules, 2010, only the state government could organise a lottery, “that too, on certain terms and conditions”.
It was submitted that since the festive season has commenced and there is every likelihood that illegal offline or online lotteries will be organised in many places of Assam while obtaining permissions from the concerned district commissioners or authorities, a strict prohibitory order is required to be passed by the Court so that poor people may not be duped by the illegal organisers of offline or online lottery in Assam.