'Blue Whale' challenge baiting children with low mental stability: Kerala IG

After the parents of a sixteen-year-old boy who committed suicide on July 26, raised doubts that it was due to the Blue Whale Challenge game that their son ended his life, Kerala Inspector General of Police (IG) stated that children with low mental stability are affected more adding he warns parents to be vigilant.

Speaking to reporters, IG Manoj Abraham said, "The Blue Whale game or challenge is a psychological game; which does not have an effect on all kids, but only selected ones with low mental stability. This game can't be downloaded and played by anyone as people generally perceive. This game is not easily available and does not affect all children. It's more like a chat between two players- the tutor on one side and the victim on the other".

Making parents aware about their kid's whereabouts, Abraham stated that parents should be aware and strict after this incident.

"After this incident, parents have become more aware and strict with their kid which is a good thing. Also the police are unaware if anyone has downloaded the game in Kerala. There has been no confirmation yet if there have been anymore 'Blue Whale Challenge' deaths in the state," he said.

Earlier in the day, welcoming the Government of India's direction to internet majors Google, Facebook, WhatsApp, Instagram, Microsoft and Yahoo to immediately remove links of the dangerous online game Blue Whale Challenge, cyber experts on Wednesday said that the government need to come up with more innovative strategies to deal with such self harm games.

Manoj, a native of Vilappilsala in Trivandrum committed suicide by hanging himself at his residence.

The Class 11 student's mother informed the police that she suspected her son committed suicide as he was playing the Blue Whale Challenge.

According to reports, the boy's mother told a media channel that her son had downloaded the game in November last year.

Kerala Police had registered a case of unnatural death then and concluded it to be personal problem.

On August 14, a series of tweets were put out by Ministry of Child and Development stating that Maneka Gandhi has taken up the matter with Home Minister Rajnath Singh and IT Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad.

On August 12, Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan had urged the Centre to take immediate steps to ban the Blue Whale Challenge in the country "to save precious lives".

The deadly online 'Blue Whale Challenge' game, however is reportedly a suicide game that challenges players for over 50 days, wherein demanding them to complete tasks given by an anonymous controller.

-ANI