Eve-teasers use Pokemon Go as an excuse

Avid gamers have literally been running around like crazy since Pokémon Go became available, albeit unofficially, across the country. Considering that the game requires users to spot and catch a Pokémon at random places, experts have been advising caution, as the process was not without danger. The recent death of an 18-year-old gamer in

Guatemala

, who broke into a house to ‘catch’ a Pokémon, only to be fatally

shot

by the owners, is a case in point. Bangalore Times had, in fact, highlighted the potential dangers of the game, when it began trending in the country more than a week ago (see top right).

For girls in the city, though, the dangers of Pokémon Go are not only physical. Many have been citing incidents of

eve-teasing

, with men claiming to be playing the game actually focusing their mobile phone cameras on unsuspecting girls.

And with the game set to be officially launched in India, things could just get even worse. Debosmita Paul, who works for an event management firm, says, “Recently, I spotted two guys from my neighbourhood, who have been trying to chat me up for a while, focusing their mobile phone cameras at me. When I realized what they were up to, I confronted them but they claimed that they were playing the game and had spotted a rare Pokémon near me. I was not convinced but the incident left me shaken. I have heard from my friends that miscreants have been clicking pictures of girls under the pretext of playing the game."

Marketing professional Ananya Sengupta’s experience was not very different, but in her case, she was the perpetrator. “I was trying to capture a Pokémon, when two women nearby thought I was clicking their pictures and asked me about it. Once I explained that was not the case, they were okay. But, then, I guess they trusted me because I am a girl. The situation would have been very different if it was a boy. Frankly, I would also object if I thought someone was clicking my pictures. But we do need to be a little more chilled about it, as people might actually be playing the game,” she added

City cops, meanwhile, have taken cognizance of the possible misuse of the game. Pokémon Go is a huge hit all over the world, including Bengaluru. But technology is for legitimate use. People trying to click pictures of girls in the guise of the game should understand that it is an offence, and can be booked by the police. “We will scan the information on the phone and check if the person was actually playing the game or clicking pictures,” says additional commissioner of

police

,

BNS Reddy

.