The Supreme Court today issued notice to the Centre while hearing a petition seeking a nation-wide ban on the Blue Whale Game.
The Court has given three weeks’ time to Centre to file a reply. The matter was heard by the Bench of Chief Justice Dipak Misra and Justices AM Khanwilkar and DY Chandrachud. Advocate CR Jaya Sukin represented the petitioner. The PIL has been filed through AoR Narendra Kumar Verma.
The petition contends that the game has been introduced from abroad and has spread over many cities across the Country. It alleges that the game encourages youngsters to commit suicide after playing the game. It states,
“Blue whale an on-line game encourages people to take part in increasingly dangerous harmful dares that culminate instructions to kill themselves…Blue Whale game is snatching the life of children and adults in the guise of game which would be caused very damage to our country.”
The petition further contends that once a person starts playing the game he/she cannot exit from it. Further, parents are rendered helpless and do not know how to deal with the situation.
It cites various cases in India and abroad in which many youngsters have committed suicide after playing the game. Moreover, there is no particular website from where the game can be downloaded and it is being promoted through several social media websites.
“…game is growing popularity through Facebook, Google, WhatsApp Instragram, Microsoft and Yahoo.”
The petition further contends that the Government of India has failed to take any appropriate measure to stop the game from being promoted. Based on the above, the petitioner seeks a total ban on the said game.
This is not the first the courts have taken notice of Blue Whale, a game whose origins and very existence are shrouded in mystery. The Delhi High Court had earlier issued notice to Google, Facebook and Yahoo in a similar petition, while the Madras High Court had taken suo motu cognizance of the game.
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