LUCKNOW: Like Blue Whale, Momo Challenge – the deadly suicide game of mobile phone which tempts young children, has claimed the life of an adolescent who hung himself from the ceiling fan of his room in Jhansi on Sunday afternoon.
As per the police sources, the victim was addicted to the mobile game and had reached its final task which required him to end his life.
Rahul Parihar, a teenager residing in Jwala Maharaj Ka Bageecha under Talpur police station area, used to spend afternoons in seclusion playing the deadly game on his mobile phone. His father works in Agra and mother, Meena Devi, lives at her parents' place. Rahul was staying with his paternal grandparents.
Sources claimed that on Sunday afternoon, on reaching the final leg of the game Rahul got the challenge to end his life which he followed. His family members spotted Rahul hanging from the ceiling of his room, and rushed him to the hospital where doctors declared him dead upon arrival. The body was sent for autopsy.
In the game, Momo Challenge, an unknown phone number presumably belonging to 'Momo', who uses a terrifying face on its profile, sends a series of challenges and threats which end with a demand to the player to commit suicide. 'Momo' passes on violent images to the victims over WhatsApp and threatens them if they refuse to follow the instructions sent out by it. The game reportedly originated in a Facebook group and is now spreading via WhatsApp.
“Children resort to such games when they fail to strike an emotional chord and a healthy relationship with their parents. They consistently remain in an irritated state of mind and shy away from going to school and study. They even start lying to parents,” says psychologist Dr Seema Bhatnagar.
Discussing other gaming disorders which lead children into the claws of such deadly games, she adds that such children lose appetite and sleep, get frequently annoyed, lack concentration and become obdurate when addicted to the deadly game.
“Such symptoms should be red flag for the parents who should immediately consult a psychologist to get the child counselled,” adds Dr Bhatnagar.