Gujarat petitioner seeks Pokemon NO-GO order

AHMEDABAD: The Gujarat high court issued notice to the US-based developer of Pokémon Go on Wednesday after a petition sought a ban on the popular augmented reality

AHMEDABAD: The Gujarat high court issued notice to the US-based developer of Pokémon Go on Wednesday after a petition sought a ban on the popular augmented reality game in India, alleging it hurt religious sentiments by showing virtual eggs in places of worship.

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The court also asked the state and central governments to respond to the public interest litigation by Alay Anil Dave who has argued that the game was particularly offensive to Hindus and Jains.

The game uses augmented reality and mapping to make gaming visuals appear in the real world, overlaid on the landscape seen through the player’s cell-phone cameras. Though the game has not been officially released in India, many still play through workarounds – for instance, by signing into an iTunes account of any country where the game has been released. Gamers can acquire virtual eggs and incubate them. Once an egg is hatched, the user gets a Pokémon monster that is added to his collection. “The points are in the form of eggs. These appears at the current location, which is many a times the places of worship of different religious groups. We are seeking a ban on the game in India,” the petitioner’s lawyer Nachiket Dave said.

Many Hindus are vegetarian while members of the Jain faith usually follow a very strict vegan diet.

The global Pokémon craze has prompted a slew of complaints against the San Francisco-based developers, with some countries imposing a complete ban.