Gujarat HC issues notices to developers of 'Pokemon Go'

Petitioner has said eggs are considered as non- vegetarian food, and it is blasphemous to carry them inside a place of worship

The Gujarat High Court on Wednesday issued a notice to the developers of location based-augmented reality game Pokémon GO, following a public interest litigation (PIL) seeking a ban on the game in India, alleging it not only hurts religious sentiments but is also a threat to national security.

The court issued notices to San Francisco-based developer of the game, Niantic Inc, the Centre and the Gujarat government.

According to the PIL by one Alay Dave, the image of eggs in the augmented reality game appear in places of worship of various religious groups. The petitioner has said eggs are considered non-vegetarian food, and it is blasphemous to carry non-vegetarian food inside a place of worship of Hindus and Jains. "People playing the game get their points in the form of virtual eggs which generally appear in the places of worship of different religious groups. To find eggs in temples of Hindus and Jains is blasphemous, and my client has sought a ban on the game from the country," the petitioner’s lawyer Nachiket Dave said.

The PIL also raised the issue of the game being used as a surveillance tool, causing a threat to national security.

The PIL cites an example of police in Missouri, US, solving a robbery done robbers using geo-location features of Pokémon GO.

Among other points raised against the game are that it infringes upon privacy, and it poses threat of life and limbs to the players, who have to walk around to score a point.

The PIL said, "As it affects social, religious and national security interest, it should be banned in the country."