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Nandini Oza
Nandini Oza

POLICE HELP

Boy rescued from clutches of Blue Whale game

blue-whale

A class IX student of Jodhpur, Rajasthan, has been saved following the timely intervention of Ahmedabad Crime Branch. The boy was playing the deadly Blue Whale Challenge game and was in the last stage of the game, where the person commits suicide.

Rajdeepsinh Zala, Assistant Commissioner of Police, Ahmedabad Crime Branch, has been quoted as saying that the boy was being counselled by psychiatrists. He is being persuaded not to play the game.

Around three days ago, the woman from Rajasthan called the crime branch on their helpline number and said she suspected her son was playing the game.

She said the boy was quiet of late and was not going out to play. He also used to injure himself.

Ahmedabad Crime Branch then gave the address and history of the boy to Jodhpur Police, which, in turn, reached the boy's residence. They found that the boy had inflicted injuries on his hand.

After initial treatment in Jodhpur, the parents brought the boy to the Ahmedabad Crime Branch for counselling.

The incident comes a day after a 12-year-old boy from Vastrapur, Ahmedabad, committed suicide by hanging himself with a lining cloth. Arhan Shah, who belongs to a rich family, took the drastic step when his parents had gone out.

Though the motive of the suicide is not yet clear, his parents refuse to believe that it had anything to do with The Blue Whale Challenge game. Police will question his teachers and neighbours to find out whether the boy had shown any unusual behaviour. They are also on the lookout for clues to verify whether he had indeed found access to the game.

A student of class VI, Arhan is survived by his parents, brother and grandparents.

The Blue Whale Challenge menace has continued in Gujarat despite the state government issuing a notification banning all links to the game. An award has also been announced for anyone who gives information about those providing the link to the game. The government has also asked schools to create awareness among students and parents about the game.

A fortnight ago, a 20-year-old youth from north Gujarat had committed suicide by jumping into the Sabarmati river in Ahmedabad. While the police have said that he was suffering from cancer, he did post a video mentioning about the Blue Whale Challenge game before taking the extreme step. He had said that nobody was responsible for the suicide and that he was fed up with his life. The family has denied that he was suffering from cancer.

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