Blue Whale Challenge: 13-year-old commits suicide in UP, another saved in Bengal

Moneycontrol News 

The Blue Whale Challenge suicide game claimed another victim in Uttar Pradesh on Sunday night when a 13-year-old boy committed suicide by hanging himself at his home.

The victim, Parth Singh, was found hanging from the ceiling fan in Uttar Pradesh’s Hamirpur district and police are on the probe if the lethal suicide game Blue Whale Challenge had anything to do with it.

Also Read: Odisha police to remove 'Blue Whale' game from social media

In another incident on the same day, a youth from Bengal was saved from the Blue Whale suicide game by his college friends, faculty and counsellors from the West Bengal police.

The young boy, an engineering student, had heard of the Blue Whale phenomenon from a WhatsApp group. He started playing it in early August and had even etched a diagram of a whale on his arm which is supposed to be in the eighth stage of the game.

Also Read: HC notice to internet cos, govt on plea against Blue Whale game

The Kolkata student claims that he was lucky and said that his friends had spotted the whale etching and alerted teachers who in turn informed his university registrar, who rang up the police for help.

An officer from West Bengal Police's CID who had alerted the public about the deadly game on their official Facebook page counselled the young boy to give up the game.

The Blue Whale challenge game, that has already claimed two lives in India, was first started in Russia and directs players to commit suicide in the 50^th and the final stage of the game.

Also Read: Will act against social media firms on Blue Whale game: Ravi Shankar Prasad

The smartphone that was found in the deceased boy's room has been sent to IT experts who will scan call records and other details.

Till now the fatal online game has led to the deaths of over 100 deaths globally.

A 1:13 minute video has been uploaded on West Bengal Police CID’s Facebook page to make teenagers aware of the menace.

"My message to whoever is in this game is to stop it before it is too late. It is not a game...they give you challenges and they take you to places you cannot come back from. They drive you to suicide. You are compelled to... I didn’t reach that point" said the Kolkata boy.