Free Fire under scrutiny: Judge writes to Indian PM for banning online games

A judge has asked for Free Fire and Battlegrounds Mobile India to be banned in India (Image via Sportskeeda)
A judge has asked for Free Fire and Battlegrounds Mobile India to be banned in India (Image via Sportskeeda)

Indian gamers have embraced Free Fire with great enthusiasm. It's one of the most popular games among the Indian mobile gaming community, and it also has a thriving Esports scene in the nation. Furthermore, the developers have previously introduced several region-specific events to enhance the player experience.

In a new development, Additional District Judge (ADJ) Naresh Kumar Laka has written to the Indian Prime Minister, demanding action against popular mobile games Free Fire and PUBG India (Battlegrounds Mobile India).


Free Fire is not banned in India yet

At the moment, Free Fire isn't banned in India and can be played by the players (Image via Free Fire)
At the moment, Free Fire isn't banned in India and can be played by the players (Image via Free Fire)

According to a report by Time of India, ADJ Laka recently wrote Prime Minister Narendra Modi a letter urging PUBG Mobile and Free Fire to be banned. The letter praised the government's previous decision to suspend PUBG Mobile, which he claimed had harmed children's development.

He went on to say that two similar apps, Garena Free Fire and Battlegrounds Mobile India, which are both free to download from the Google Play Store, are also harming youngsters. He stressed that children spend a significant amount of time playing these games, which impacts their social behavior. He added that the government should pass legislation restricting children's access to internet gaming.

As per the judge, children are addicted to these games, which has disrupted their routine lives. On top of this, these games have also harmed their social lives as they do not spend much time interacting with their family.

A similar call for action was reported earlier this year in Bangladesh and Nepal as well. Recently, Asha Kumari B.K., a parliamentarian in Nepal, spoke out against online games because of their negative consequences. According to her, the use of the internet has increased significantly, but the addiction to games like PUBG and Free Fire is worrying.

While the game has not yet been banned, such instances show how these titles are always under the regulatory microscope.


Players can enjoy the game on their Android and iOS devices. Recently, the game's OB29 version was also released, introducing a variety of new features.

Check out the latest Free Fire MAX redeem codes here.

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Edited by Srijan Sen