MHC gives time for online gaming companies to respond

CHENNAI: On Tuesday, the Madras High Court has directed the Crime Branch-Criminal Investigation Department (CB-CID) not to take any action until the reply is filed in the case of the online rummy company against the notice sent for the investigation regarding the suicide of duo due to the failure in online rummy.

Latterly, Manikandan, an employee of a London-based private bank, who lives in Perungudi, Chennai, killed his wife Tharaka priya, 11-year-old son Taran and one-and-a-half-year-old Thaagan and killed himself due to a loss in an online rummy game. Similarly, Raghuvaran from Anna Nagar, Chennai also committed suicide.

While the CB-CID is investigating these two cases, it has sent the notice to Mumbai-based 'Games 24*7' company on February 24 to provide the details related to online games, bonus given through games, earnings and tax detection. Objecting this, the 'Games 24*7' company moved Madras High Court to quash the notice sent by CB-CID.

Meanwhile, the case came for hearing before Justice G Chandrasekharan on Tuesday, advocate Rajkumar who appeared for CB-CID said that four cases have been filed with prima facie and requested the court to grant two weeks time to file a detailed reply on the same.

The counsel for the petitioner said that he had no objection to grant time to file the reply and requested that the police should be directed not to take any bleak measures like aggravation in the name of investigation till then. Agreeing this, the Judge granted time till March 28 for the prosecution to respond and adjourned the hearing by ordering that no prudish action should be taken till then.