Lucknow Police Links 14-Year-Old Boy's Suicide To Gaming Addiction
A 14-year-old boy in Lucknow who committed suicide two days ago was addicted to mobile gaming for the last two months and had lost Rs 14 lakh from his father's bank account, police said on Wednesday.
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Residents call for government intervention to completely prohibit online gaming (Representational)
Lucknow:
Police reported on Wednesday that a 14-year-old boy in Lucknow who died by suicide two days prior had been addicted to mobile gaming for two months and had depleted Rs 14 lakh from his father's bank account. Authorities are now urging parents to vigilantly monitor their children's online activities.
Deputy Commissioner of Police (South) Nipun Aggarwal stated, "Investigation revealed that the boy had lost Rs 14 lakh that his father had saved for medical expenses. After being reprimanded by his father, he took the drastic step." Aggarwal implored parents to supervise their minor children's internet usage and bank-account access while educating them about cyber-related dangers.
In response to the incident, Lucknow Police has strengthened its ongoing cyber-awareness initiatives.
Additional DCP (South Lucknow) Ralapalli Vasanth Kumar warned that although skill-based online gaming remains legal, certain games like "BGMI free fire" present considerable risks to children due to their addictive nature.
"Some cybercriminals establish relationships with children through in-app messaging and manipulate them into transferring money," the officer explained.
Kumar emphasized that parents should be knowledgeable about the online platforms their children access and should carefully monitor and verify accounts connected to Google playstore and app store.
"Counselling represents the most effective approach to address such addiction rather than harsh measures," Kumar noted.
Yash, a sixth-grade student, took his life by hanging in the Mohanlalganj area on Monday.
Mohanlalganj Station House Officer (SHO) D K Singh reported that the boy had gone to the roof under the pretense of studying after his father informed family members about missing funds from his bank account. His sister later discovered him hanging.
Family members rushed him to a community health center, where medical personnel pronounced him deceased.
The boy's father, Suresh Yadav, recounted that he had merely told his son, "Son, you are doing something wrong. I work and earn for your benefit." Yadav discovered the missing amount when attempting to withdraw Rs 20,000 from his account.
Community members have urged government officials to implement a complete prohibition on online gaming to prevent similar tragedies.