Mumbai teenager suicide: No evidence that death was due to Blue Whale challenge, says police

After a 14-year-old boy ended his life by jumping off a building in Mumbai, the police have said that there is no evidence that the death was a result of the ‘ Blue Whale ’ suicide challenge, reported The Indian Express. There were reports earlier that the incident could be linked to the challenge as his friends were discussing the online game. The Class 9 student jumped off the fifth floor of the building in Sher-e-Punjab area of suburban Andheri at around 5 pm on Saturday, the police said on Monday. [caption id=“attachment_3829223” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  Representational image. Reuters[/caption] A person, who was standing near the building at the time of the incident, alerted the police. The police are yet to find the reason behind the extreme step. “The teenager’s friends were chatting on social media groups about his death being linked to the Blue Whale online suicide challenge game. But, we are yet to examine his mobile phone and social media groups where he was active,” a senior police official said. The online challenge, which originated in Russia, starts by asking participants via social media to draw a blue whale on a piece of paper, the police said. The participants are then asked to carve the whale onto their body. The participants and given other tasks, like watching horror movies alone, they explained. According to media reports, the tasks also include harming oneself and waking up at unusual hours. “Police were probing if the death is related to Blue Whale suicide challenge,” Milind Khetle, Assistant Commissioner of Police (Meghwadi Division), told PTI. Police are making enquiries with his friends and some members of social media groups in this connection, he said. “We could not meet his family members as they have gone to Nashik to perform post-death rituals,” he said. The police will also examine the teenager’s mobile phone and other gadgets as part of the probe to know the exact reason behind the suicide, Khetle said. The Meghwadi police have registered a case in the matter and probing the reason behind the suicide, Deputy Commissioner of Police Navinchandra Reddy said.