Six more youths arrested for playing PUBG game in Rajkot

A team of Malaviyanagar police arrested six youths from a paan shop near Atithi Chowk while they were playing PUBG game late on Wednesday night. They were booked under Section 188 (disobedience to order duly promulgated by public servant) of the IPC and Section 35 of the Gujarat Police Act.

“They were arrested after we filed a case against them in the early hours of Thursday. Later on, we released them on bail,” Malaviyanagar police inspector Naran Chudasama told The Indian Express.

The accused were identified as Varun Bhatt (20), a resident of Dwarkadhis Society; Vipul Gangiya (20), a native of Tapi district but presently living in a hostel on Laskhminagar Main Road of the city; Parth Joshi, (22) a resident of Mayani Chowk; Rutwik Dave (22), a resident of Sardar Patel Park; Ronak Bhalani (20), a resident of Shantiniketan Apartment near KKV Chowk, and Parth Gopani (18), a resident of Rani Park. “Some of the accused are undergraduate students, while some are doing private jobs,” the police inspector said, adding that the special drive against those violating the notification banning the PUBG game would continue in the coming days too.

Rajkot city police commissioner Manoj Agarwal had issued a notification on March 6 banning the PUBG game and MOMO Challenge, stating that the addictive mobile games were having an adverse impact on behaviour, attitude and language of students and children.

Rajkot Taluka police had arrested six persons on Tuesday for allegedly playing the PUBG game. The same day, University police had arrested one person. On Wednesday, the Special Operation Group had arrested three persons. With the latest arrests on Thursday, the number has gone up to 16.