Blue Whale Challenge: Indore Boy Tries To Commit Suicide

A class VII student in Indore recently tried to commit suicide. According to police, the boy may have been trying to complete the final stage of the Blue Whale Game. He had been very close to the edge of the terrace of his school, when his friends and a teacher spotted him and urged him to come down.

"Initial investigation suggests that the boy had been playing the Blue Whale game on his father's cellphone for the last couple of days," Additional Superintendent of Police Rupesh Kumar Dwivedi told PTI.

Students and a teacher helped him down, and took him to the school's medical room.

His PT teacher said that the boy admitted that he was taking the Blue Whale Challenge. The video game started in 2015 in Russia, and spread via social media. A person who joins the game is given 50 tasks to complete. The final task is to end his/her life.

On July 26, a 16-year-old boy from Kerala had hanged himself. His mother told the police that she suspected he took his life to complete the challenge. Earlier this month, a 14-year-old boy in Mumbai had also ended his life due to the Blue Whale challenge.

The Indian government has asked top internet platforms such as Google, Facebook, Whatsapp and Microsoft to immediately take down links to the game.

"Instances of children committing suicide while playing Blue Whale Challenge have been reported in India...You are hereby requested to ensure that any such link of this deadly game in its own name or similar game is immediately removed from your platform," a letter from the ministry, dated August 11, said.

The game has already caused 150 deaths in Russia. It is spreading via social media, and some of the tasks including watching horror movies all day long, cutting your lip, and other forms of self harm.

Also Read: Influenced By Virtual Game, Mumbai Teenager Ends Life