The police of Rajkot city in Gujarat has arrested and jailed seven people for playing PUBG, a mobile game which has been banned in several areas in Gujarat, including Rajkot, for being harmful to children. Those arrested, however, were not children but adults aged between 19-26 years. An unlawful assembly order for a mobile game: MediaNama had reported on Monday that PUBG was banned in at least three districts and two cities in Gujarat. The game was first blocked in Rajkot on March 6, via an order by the Rajkot Police Commissioner. It emerges that the ban notification included a prohibitory Section 144 order under the CrPC which prohibits assembly of more than four people in an area (h/t - Internet Freedom Foundation /reddit). (See a copy of the notification appended at the bottom, translated from the original by Manan Bhatt) Therefore, I Manoj Agrawal, IPS, Police Commissioner, Rajkot City considering public safety and security and to maintain law and order, exercises power conferred to me under S. 144 of the CRPC and S. 37(3) of the Gujarat Police Act, orders prohibition on playing PUBG GAME/ MOMO CHALLENGE across the territory of Rajkot City Area. - Notification by Rajkot Police Commissioner on March 6, 2019 This is excessive as the order is usually passed in tense situations or when there is potential for public disorder. Moreover, the notification authorizes a any officer ranking between police sub-inspector and joint police commissioner to file a complaint against violators, who shall be subject to…
