Pondy university student a victim of Blue Whale Game, say friends

According to the police, Sasikumar Bora (23), hailing from Assam, who is a first year MBA student of the Pondicherry Central University, allegedly committed suicide by hanging in his hostel room last night. 

Bora who was chatting with his friends last night left for his room and was found hanging this morning. His friends informed police that he used to play ‘Blue Whale game’. 

Kalapet police who checked his cell phone also confirmed that the youth was playing the game. Police seized his phone and sent it to the cyber cell for further investigation.  

The body of Bora was sent to the government medical college hospital here or post-mortem. His parents have been informed of the tragedy and they are on their way to Puducherry, police said. 

Puducherry unit BJP President V Saminathan MLA (nominated) on Friday urged the government to take steps to save children from the clutches of the game.  

In a statement here, Saminathan called upon social activists, educational institutions and parents to save children from this game which will ultimately instigate them to commit suicide.  

He demanded that computers, cell phones and tablets should not be allowed in schools and at home, parents should monitor use of these by their wards. Children who are already playing the game should be counselled. Instead of indulging in healthy traditional games such as Kabbadi and Kho-Kho, children are spoiling their future playing games in their smart phones, said Saminathan.   

The government should act immediately and take immediate steps in this direction, he added. Saminathan said presently much pressure is being exerted on children to study and earn top ranks and out of that due to stress they are getting diverted to play such games. The game programmed by foreign countries should be treated as a cyber-attack on our culture and heritage, Saminathan said.