A Week After Gujarat Ban, 10 Arrested for Playing PUBG in Rajkot

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Ten youth have been arrested in Gujarat, a week after the Rajkot police notification imposing a ban on the mobile-friendly online game, PUBG.

Out of the ten people arrested, six are undergraduate students who were arrested on Tuesday, 12 March. Three were arrested on Wednesday, 13 March by the Rajkot Special Operations Group (SOG) and a 25-year-old was arrested by the University police.

Of the three arrested by the SOG, one works for a private firm in Rajkot itself, another is a casual labourer while the third is looking for work.

This comes after a 6 March notification that had banned PUBG and the MOMO challenge.

Police Commissioner Manoj Agarwal told The Indian Express that 12 cases have been registered since the 6 March notification. He said that it is a bailable offence.

The Indian Express reported that the police has seized the mobile phones “for the purpose of investigation.” 

"We want to send a message that the notification on the game's ban is not only on paper," a police officer was quoted by The Times of India as saying.

The notification by the Rajkot Police has been issued on the directions of the state government.

“The notification falls in two parts. One is the person who is playing the game is liable for notification violation. At the same time, people who are aware that they are playing PUBG and still not communicating this to the authorities are also liable for an equal amount of violation. This is more important not for bystanders but for parents and teachers.”

Manoj Agarwal, Police Commissioner, Rajkot to <i>The Indian Express</i>

The reason for the notification is that the game is supposedly having a negative impact on the studies and behaviour of students and that it leads to violent attitude.

(With inputs from The Indian Express and The Times of India)