Mobile enthusiasts in Gujarat will be pleased to know playing PUBG Mobile in their region is no longer a criminal offence and you won’t be jailed for it.
This was stated by A K Singh, city police commissioner for Ahmedabad, quoted in a news report, bringing an end to a ban which ensured kids weren’t glued to the addictive multi-player game for long hours.
The commissioner, taking feedback from the public said with the exams now coming to an end, he didn’t feel the need to prolong the ban any further. He claims to have taken this decision looking at the reaction from the public.
However, he was quick to point that the law enforcement agencies will be keeping a close eye on the game’s impact on the youth of the country and will take stringent action whenever required.
The ban, which last for over a couple of weeks in select parts of the country, co-incidentally timed with the month-long board exams taking place.
During the ban, anyone could complain against someone playing PUBG and if found guilty, action was taken against the offenders/gamers under section 188 of IPC, provided certain conditions exist.
Section 188 of the IPC states that if someone disobeys an order promulgated by a lawful authority and:
“...if such disobedience causes or tends to cause obstruction, annoyance or injury, or risk of obstruction, annoyance or injury, to any person lawfully employed, be punished with simple imprisonment for a term which may extend to one month or with fine which may extend to two hundred rupees, or with both...”
Interestingly, policemen were exempted from this ban, for investigation purposes. A week after a ban on the game was imposed by the Rajkot police, 10 people were arrested on charges of playing PUBG, six of whom are undergraduate students.
PUBG Mobile, in its defence, has assured of further efforts at its end, with a possible health check indicator, one of the many features expected to be rolled out in the coming weeks.
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