Blue Whale Challenge Latest News: Online Game Might Have Influenced a Teen's Suicide
The mother of 16-year-old Manoj Chandran believes that her son's suicide was prompted by an online game, the Blue Whale Challenge.
The teen committed suicide on July 26. He hanged himself at his residence in Mukkampalamoodu, Thachottukavu. While the family previously assumed that a recent breakup, coupled with his mother's scolding, could have driven him to commit suicide, they now believe that he could have fallen victim to the Blue Whale Challenge.
She remembers her son telling her about an online game that involves daring tasks. She has filed a police complaint at Vilappilsala station stating such a possibility.
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As of now, the authorities cannot say for certain if the teenager's suicide was influenced by the game as their initial findings did not indicate so.
"His mother has raised suspicion that he might have killed himself under the influence of an online game, but as of now we cannot confirm if it was the real cause," Kannan K, SHO, of Vilappilsala police station said of the mother's complaint.
According to the cop, the mother's statements are not in line with their inquest reports. While she claims that her son had injuries on his hand about six months ago, their findings did not indicate any injury.
The authorities are still looking for more witnesses who can verify the bereaved mother's claim.
Jayakumar T, circle inspector of Malayinkeezhu police station, said that they are waiting for confirmation from the cyber police. They are currently looking for information from the mother's smartphone.
Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has asked Prime Minister Narendra Modi to ban the game because of its adverse effects on teenagers. The Blue Whale Challenge, which is said to be a Russian game, takes players on a self-annihilating journey over a period of 50 days.
The investigation is still ongoing. More updates should follow.
