Did Blue Whale Challenge claim college boy’s life?

The police said that the boy had hanged himself at his resident in Mottamalai.

August 30, 2017 09:51 pm | Updated December 03, 2021 12:28 pm IST - Madurai

A 19-year-old college student, J. Vickey of Vilacheri, committed suicide by hanging himself after he reportedly played the Blue Whale Challenge, on Wednesday. However, many other children who had played this online challenge game, chose to end their lives by jumping off a building.

The police said that the boy had hanged himself at his residence in Mottamalai. He was a second year student of Commerce in a college in Madurai.

He was found hanging at around 4.15 p.m. His father worked at a bakery. He had got a mobile phone recently, the police said.

The Superintendent of Police, N. Manivannan, confirmed the image of his arm with the words “blue whale” carved on it.

Blue Whale Challenge is an Internet game in which the players are given a series of challenges over a period. The final day challenge is to commit suicide.

“We suspect that the boy could have been playing the game. Further investigation is underway in the case,” Mr. Manivannan added.

The state's health helpline 104 and Sneha's suicide prevention helpline 044-24640050 provide counselling for those in distress.

 

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