Following the ban of PUBG Mobile in Gujarat, police in India have arrested 10 gamers for playing the battle royal game. This will be the first report of a PUBG Mobile-related arrest since the ban was put into effect.
PUBG which stands for PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds is a battle royale game that puts about 100 people on an island and have them scramble for weapons, and fight each other for survival. The last standing person or team is made the winner.
The battle royale game which has millions of players around the world, most especially in India, has been blamed for its addictiveness, poor students exam results, and violence.
The game was eventually banned in Gujarat. Not long after the ban, the police in Rajkot said that they had made 10 arrests in relation to the ban placed on the game.
According to the Indian Express, police commissioner Manoj Agrawal placed a ban on the play of PUBG Mobile and as well ban restricting anyone from participating in the MOMO challenge.
"It has come to our notice from various media that PUBG game, MOMO challenge is leading to a violent attitude among our youth. The game is also having an impact on studies as well as behaviour, conduct and language of children and youth.......keeping in mind public safety security ans to maintain law and order, I hereby impose a ban on playing PUBG game/MOMO challenge," the ban read.
Lat week Wednesday, the Rajkot Special Operations Group (SGO) said they arrested three young men "red handed" near the police headquarters while playing the game.
Police inspector Rohit Ravel said they had seized the phones "for the purpose of investigation," and that "the game is highly addictive and the accused were so engrossed in Playing them that they could not even notice" the police team approaching.
The arrests came a day after the Rajkot taluka police said that they had arrested six college students whop were playing the game.
"As part of a special drive, police sub-inspector N D Damor arrested the six youths who were playing the game at tea stalls and fast-food joints outside a college on Kalavad road on Tuesday," the police said
The University police also said that they also arrested a 25-year-old man for playing the game. Later in the evening that same day, the police said they registered two more cases.
"It is a bailable offence," police commissioner Manoj Agrawal said. "People have been booked but there is nothing like arrest in it. In the procedure, they will be shown as immediately bailed out by the police. The case will go to the courts and there will be a trial for not following the notification issues"