Tamil Nadu
The Blue Whale Challenge has claimed another life in Madurai. Vignesh, a 19-year-old college student committed suicide by hanging himself, following the instruction he received from his 'curator' in the playroom. He, however, had a message for other teenagers, which needs to be given a silent thought. "Blue Whale- This is not a game but danger. Once you enter, you can never exit", said the note that he left behind.
A second-year student, Vighnesh had carved the image of the Blue Whale with a blade, on his left forearm and the words "Blue Whale" were written below. Police investigations revealed that Vighnesh was engrossed in the game way too much. It is said that the game involves conversing with the curator over messages and calls.
Meanwhile, Tamil Nadu police had recently released a circular asking parents and teachers to keep an eye on their children for any such affliction. They have also been asked to keep a check on their behaviour and the way they conduct themselves around the phone. Studies have shown that the curators track vulnerable teenagers and dare them to do tasks beyond their capacities. Jumping into the river, irrespective of not knowing how to swim, suffocating oneself for five minutes are some of the challenges that form few of the 50 stages of the game. The final stage culminates into suicide, which if averted could allegedly result in hacking personal accounts or threat messages.