8 more held in Gujarat for playing PUBG video game on phones

Eight more people, including seven college students, were arrested in Gujarat Friday for playing PUBG video game on their mobile phones despite a ban on it, police said.

The latest arrests were made from Ahmedabad and Himmatnagar town and came days after 10 people, including college students, were held for the same offence in Rajkot.

All the eight arrested persons were booked under Indian Penal Code section 188 (disobedience to order duly promulgated by public servant) and later granted bail at the police stations concerned, the police said.

One of them, a 20-year-old man, was arrested from Rakhial area here for allegedly playing PUBG game on his mobile phone, said an official of the Rakhial police station.

He was later given bail from the police station, he said.

The rest, all college students, were arrested from Himmatnagar town in Sabarkantha district, the police said.

They were caught while playing the game on their mobile phones outside their hostel, said police inspector A T Patel.

While the Ahmedabad city police had issued a notification banning PUBG and MOMO Challenge mobile games a few days back, their Sabarkantha counterparts had issued a similar order Thursday.

The Rajkot police was the first to ban both the games.

Between March 12 and 13, the Rajkot city police had arrested 10 persons, including six college students, for playing PUBG game in violation of the ban.

As per the notification, having common content, the ban was necessary as these games were leading to violent behaviour among children and youth.

The games were adversely affecting the studies and the overall behaviour, conduct and language of children, the notification had said.