Blue Whale challenge: Chhattisgarh police launch probe as number of cases rise

Raipur: The Chhattisgarh Police has launched a probe into a number of cases suspected to be linked to the Blue Whale challenge in various districts of the state, a top official has said. A 24-year-old woman, a government employee in Jashpur district, was found taking part in the deadly challenge, Additional District General R K Vij told PTI. On finding scratches on her hand, the police prevented her from taking part in the challenge and offered her counselling, he has said. [caption id=“attachment_4052001” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] Representational image.[/caption] In Balod district, the principal of a private school approached the police after spotting injury marks on the hands of some students. The students told the police that they were not taking part in the challenge. The police, nevertheless, asked their parents to keep the kids under supervision. Scratches were also spotted on the hands of 14 children at a government school in Dantewada, District Collector Sourabh Kumar has said.   However, the children told the police that they were not playing the game, but had scratched their hands due to some superstition. None of these kids possessed mobile phones. The Blue Whale Challenge involves completion of various tasks set by its ‘administrators’, some of them entailing self-injury, which culminate in suicide. The challenge is believed to have originated in Russia. Suicides triggered by the challenge have been reported from various parts of the country.