VADODARA: Barodians can now play online mobile game

(Player Unknowm’s Battleground) without the fear of facing the law.

The city police had banned the game in March claiming it to be inciting violence among young minds. However, the ban notification issued by police was not renewed and it is quite likely that no new notification to this effect will be issued.

While banning the game on March 13, police had claimed that they had received representations from many parents in the city to act against the game with growing addiction for the game and that the children were getting aggressive from playing the game. Cops had even asked citizens to contact them if they spot anyone playing the game. “If any adults will be found playing the game, they will be booked for flouting the police notification and if children will be found, they will be counselled,” the police had said earlier. The notification was in effect till April 12.

However, at the fag end of the notice period, the police decided not to review the ban and allow the notification to lapse. “We found that the game was no more a menace and so we did not renew the notification,” said commissioner of police, Anupam Singh Gahlaut. He added that apart from email protests by couple of youth against the notification, parents had appreciated the step.

“The ban period was also the time of exams so the notification was necessary. But now even as the ban period is over the menace is still under control,” said another senior police official. During the ban period, many youths from different areas, caught playing this multiplayer internet game, had to lose their mobile phones and were also booked for violation of public notification.

The game was first banned in Rajkot and then police from other districts too followed suit.