A tragic incident took place on July 30th, 2021 in Chhatarpur district of Madhya Pradesh where a 13-year-old boy committed suicide by hanging himself after he lost ₹ 40,000 in Free Fire, a popular online battle royale game. Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Shashank Jain said that the teen left behind a suicide note before taking the drastic decision. On that note, the teenager had apologized to his parents for losing such a huge amount and confessed that he had withdrawn the money from his mother’s bank account. The loss of such an amount in Free Fire made him very much depressed which led him to commit suicide.
What led to such incident happening
The Class 6 student from Madhya Pradesh comes from a middle-class background whose father is a pathology lab owner. Amidst the Covid-19 scare, all the educational institutions are shut, which is why the boy used to play the game for leisure. But slowly and steadily, he became addicted to Free Fire which ultimately led to lumpsum spending and later, to this suicide incident.
Statements of parents are yet to be recorded. It is based on the statement of parents that the further course of action would be taken
Sachin Sharma, CHHATARPUR SP
The mobile device he used for playing Free Fire has been taken by the cyber cell of Madhya Pradesh police to examine. The role of Free Fire will also be a part of the investigation as there’s a protocol for making payments. In case of a minor paying, the process must be authorized by his/her parents.
The first step to this suicide incident was when the boy’s mother scolded him after receiving a message regarding a transaction of Rs 1500 in Free Fire, from her account. Feeling ashamed, the boy locked himself in a room. Later, when they broke the door, he was found hanging from the ceiling. After getting the news, his parents rushed back home. The boy was taken to the district hospital where a doctor declared him as being brought dead.
What can we learn from this incident
This is not the only incident where teens are taking their lives due to these mobile games. A case like this shows the effect of mobile games when it becomes an addiction, especially for teens and under-aged persons. Both the parents and children must be aware of these negative effects of gaming. Moreover, parents should never let their children play games for a long time. Extra-curricular activities should also be encouraged to participate to not let them get addicted to these games.
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Soooo… He was an Indian boy who wrote his last message in English and then… in Indian…. I don’t know Rick…