BGMI to resume operations in India as govt gives 3-month trial approval
New Delhi, May 19: Online gaming app Battleground Mobile India will resume operations in India after the government revoked the ban from it for a 3-month trial period.
South Korean gaming company Krafton owns Battleground Mobile India.
''This is a 3 month trial approval of #BGMI after it has complied with issues of server locations n data security etc. We will keep a close watch on other issues of user harm, addiction etc in next three month before a final decision is taken,'' Chandrasekhar tweeted.
BGMI was removed from app stores after a government order last year.
''We are highly grateful to the Indian authorities for allowing us to resume operations of Battlegrounds Mobile India (BGMI),'' Krafton, Inc India CEO Sean Hyunil Sohn said in a statement.
Sohn further said ''we would like to extend our gratitude to our Indian gaming community for their support and patience over the past few months. We are excited to announce that BATTLEGROUNDS MOBILE INDIA will be available for download soon and we cannot wait to welcome you back to our platform.'' He said that the company believes in the power of gaming to bring people together and create unforgettable experiences.
''We are committed to delivering exceptional products and services to our users in India and beyond, and we look forward to continuing our journey with you,'' Sohn said.
Krafton has denied any link of BGMI with Tencent.
''At Krafton, Inc, we are deeply committed to the Indian gaming ecosystem. Our approach has always been India-first, which serves as the foundation of all our efforts. We believe in investing in the Indian gaming industry and contributing to building a vibrant ecosystem that fosters growth and innovation,'' Sohn said.
Krafton has made investments in some of the Indian gaming firms including Nodwin Gaming.
Sohn said Krafton aims to augment technology developments in India by collaborating with local developers and promoting the use of cutting-edge technologies.
''We also recognize the importance of providing skilling and employment opportunities for Indian talent, which can help them nurture their skillset and thrive in the industry,'' Sohn said.
BGMI had over 100 million users at the time it was banned in India.
''We are very humbled by the love we have received for BGMI in less than two years of launching it in the country. The title achieved a remarkable milestone by surpassing 100 million cumulative users shortly after a year of its launch.
''Since its inception, BGMI has contributed significantly to building a robust Esports ecosystem in the country by providing India-centric events and content,'' Sohn said.
Krafton said BGMI has made history by becoming the first Esports event to be broadcasted on mainstream television attracting 24 million concurrent viewers and a total of 200 million viewers.
Krafton Inc India, Head of Government Affairs, Vibhor Kukreti said Krafton Inc is a responsible South Korean organization that abides by the law and has put in place several measures to ensure compliance with all applicable regulations.
''We work tirelessly to ensure that India takes the lead in this domain by embracing innovative practices in collaboration with the gaming ecosystem to support, sustain and promote its growth. We strongly encourage our users to prioritize their well-being and follow responsible gaming practices,'' he said.
Kukreti said that the company is committed to providing a safe and enjoyable experience for our players and believes that by promoting responsible gaming.
''We can contribute to a healthier gaming culture, where players can enjoy themselves while still taking care of their overall well-being.
''We want to thank all our fans for their unwavering support, and we want them to know that we are fully committed to bringing BGMI back to them soon. Their continued support means a lot to us, and we promise to keep working hard to ensure that they have the best possible gaming experience,'' he said.
@BgmiDev on 3-month trial before it gets final approval
— Nishant Arora (@nisharotech) May 19, 2023
The government will keep a close watch on other issues of user harm, addiction, etc in next three months before a final decision is taken, says @Rajeev_GoI #Krafton#bgmiunban https://t.co/ZMxx01H0Hd
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Actress sexual assault: Court says Prosecution 'miserably' failed to prove conspiracy against Dileep
Kochi (PTI): The prosecution had "miserably" failed to prove the conspiracy charge against Dileep in the sensational 2017 actress sexual assault case, a local court has observed while citing inconsistencies and lack of sufficient evidence against the Malayalam star.
The full judgement of Ernakulam District and Principal Sessions Court Judge Honey M Varghese was released late on Friday, and has revealed the judge also pointing out at unsustainable arguments put forth by the prosecution.
"The prosecution miserably failed to prove the conspiracy between accused No.1 (Pulsar Suni) and accused No.8 (Dileep) in executing the offence against the victim," the court held.
It examined in detail, the prosecution's allegation that Dileep had hired the prime accused to sexually assault the survivor and record visuals, including close-up footage of a gold ring she was wearing, to establish her identity.
On page 1130 of the judgment, under paragraph 703, the court framed the issue as whether the prosecution's contention that NS Sunil (Pulsar Suni) recorded visuals of the gold ring worn by the victim at the time of the occurrence, so as to clearly disclose her identity, was sustainable.
The prosecution contended Dileep and Suni had planned the recording so that the actress' identity would be unmistakable, with the video of the gold ring intended to convince Dileep that the visuals were genuine.
However, the court noted that this contention was not stated in the first charge sheet and was introduced only in the second one.
As part of this claim, a gold ring was seized after the victim produced it before the police.
The court observed that multiple statements of the victim were recorded from February 18, 2017, following the incident, and that she first raised allegations against Dileep only on June 3, 2017.
Even on that day, nothing was mentioned about filming of the ring as claimed by the prosecution, the court said.
The prosecution failed to explain why the victim did not disclose this fact at the earliest available opportunities.
It further noted that although the victim had viewed the sexual assault visuals twice, she did not mention any specific recording of the gold ring on those occasions, which remained unexplained.
The court also examined the approvers' statements.
One approver told the magistrate that Dileep had instructed Pulsar Suni to record the victim's wedding ring.
The court observed that no such wedding ring was available with her at that time.
During the trial, the approver changed his version, the court said.
The Special Public Prosecutor put a leading question to the approver on whether Dileep had instructed the recording of the ring, after which he deposed that the instruction was to record it to prove the victim's identity.
The court observed that the approver changed his account to corroborate the victim's evidence.
When the same question was put to another approver, he repeated the claim during the trial but admitted he had never stated this fact before the investigating officer.
The court noted that the second approver even went to the extent of claiming Dileep had instructed the execution of the crime as the victim's engagement was over.
This showed that the evidence of the second approver regarding the shooting of the ring was untrue, as her engagement had taken place after the crime.
The court further observed that the visuals themselves clearly revealed the victim's identity and that there was no need to capture images of the ring to establish identity.
In paragraph 887, the court examined the alleged motive behind the crime and noted that in the first charge sheet, the prosecution had claimed that accused persons 1 to 6 had kidnapped the victim with the common intention of capturing nude visuals to extort money by threatening to circulate them and there was no mention about Dileep's role in it.
The court also rejected the prosecution's claim that the accused had been planning the assault on Dileep's instructions since 2013, noting that the allegation was not supported by reliable evidence.
It similarly ruled out the claim that Suni attempted to sexually assault the victim in Goa in January 2017, stating that witness statements showed no such misconduct when he served as the driver of the vehicle used by the actress there.
The court also discussed various controversies that followed Dileep's arrest and the evidence relied upon by the prosecution, ultimately finding that the case had not been proved.
Pronouning its verdict on the sensational case on December 8, the court acquitted Dileep and three others.
Later, the court sentenced six accused, including the prime accused Suni, to 20 years' rigorous imprisonment.
The assault on the multilingual actress, after the accused allegedly forced their way into her car and held it under their control for two hours on February 17, 2017, had shocked Kerala.
Pulsar Suni sexually assaulted the actress and video recorded the act with the help of the other convicted persons in the moving car.
