Speaking to DNA, the father of the teenager said the death of his son was not connected to the Blue Whale challenge and urged that rumours should not be spread unnecessarily.
The Meghwadi police on Monday night approached the parents of Manpreet Sahans, a 14-year-old, who on Saturday allegedly jumped to death from the building in which his family resides. While the police has not found any evidence to confirm a direct link, the police are probing whether the suicide was connected to the deadly Blue Whale challenge, an online suicide game which has killed over 130 participants in Russia.
Speaking to DNA, the father of the teenager said the death of his son was not connected to the Blue Whale challenge and urged that rumours should not be spread unnecessarily.
“We are in a state of shock and are completing the family rituals. Everyone should stop spreading rumours about the game so that no other child gets affected and influenced due to this incident,” Manpree’s father Jaspal Singh said.
A close relative who had attended the last rituals said, “After this incident, teenagers in our family have started to Google the Blue Whale Challenge. The family will request the police to come out with a statement to clarify that the death is not linked with Blue Whale Challenge and we are waiting for the police to complete their investigations.”
Meghwadi police sources said they were now probing whether the teenager was following an order from an administrator promoting a shorter version of the challenge online, and have seized electronic gadgets which will be sent for forensic analysis.
As part of their probe, the Meghwadi police checked Manpreet’s school bag and books to check whether he wrote or scribbled anything related to the challenge. A geometry box which had a rounder and cutter was examined to find if it had any blood stains. The police have taken the statements of the teenager’s parents and friends.
“We are checking his gadgets. Moreover, we are also probing if a shorter version of Blue Whale challenge was played by the youth,” said a senior police officer from Meghwadi police division.
Manpreet, a class 9 student of Bombay Cambridge school, wrote to his friends on social media: ‘Soon the only thing you would be left with is a picture of me’ before leaping to death from his building terrace.
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