Blue Whale Challenge: Engineering, Class 10 students hooked to game rescued

The game involves people being given tasks to complete over 50 days and ends with their suicide

In yet another instance of suicide attempts due to the deadly Russian game — Blue Whale Challenge — the Cuttack and Jodhpur Police have rescued an engineering student and a Class X student respectively. 

An engineering student from Cuttack, who was hooked to the dreaded Blue Whale game, was rescued by the police on Tuesday and handed over to his parents after counselling.

Meanwhile, a girl studying in Class X tried to commit suicide by jumping into a Kailana lake in Jodhpur, but was rescued just on time.

Engineering student was in depressed state for several days

The victim's friend had sent a message to the police saying the third-year student was in a depressed state for the past several days.

City DCP Akhileshwar Singh said the Markat Nagar police received a forwarded message that was initially sent by the neighbour of the student, who was staying in a mess located at the residential colony of Abhinav Bidanasi.

The message appealed to the police to intervene and rescue the student, who was perhaps a victim of the online suicidal game, he said.

"A team of the local police intercepted the engineering student in the mess in which he was staying at Satellite city of Abhinav Bidanasi and his parents in Keonjhar district were informed about it", the DCP said adding the student had perhaps reached the tenth level of the online game.

The DCP further appealed that if anyone tried the game out of curiosity and is subsequently threatened by the administrator to perform certain unrealistic tasks, he should immediately seek the help of the police.

Class X student resisted attempt to be saved

A girl studying in Class X tried to commit suicide by jumping into a lake here as part of the Blue Whale Challenge but was rescued, the police said today.

The girl, who told her parents that she was going to meet her friends, carved the shape of a whale on her arm and threw away her mobile phone before jumping into the Kailana lake last night, they said.

According to her rescuer Om Prakash, she even tried to resist the attempt to save her.

"The moment she jumped into the lake, I jumped in after her and took her out immediately, before informing the police," he said.

SHO (Rajiv Gandhi Nagar) Lekhraj Sihag said the girl has been handed over to her parents, who had no idea about her fascination with the online challenge. They took her to a counselor today.

"We rushed to the spot and found her desperate to commit suicide. On asking that why she wanted to do this, she said that she had been taking part in the Blue Whale Challenge for some time and as a last task, was supposed to kill herself. She was told that if she failed to do so, her mother would die," Sihag said.

The officer said the father of the girl works with the BSF and lives in Mandore area.

Former chief minister Ashok Gehlot tweeted that the central government must have a dedicated task force of experts to block the "game" in India.

PCC Chief Sachin Pilot has also demanded a quick action to ban the "game" immediately so that the lives of young people could be saved.

The Blue Whale Challenge, which originated in Russia, involves people being given tasks to complete over a period of 50 days and ends with their suicide.

These challenges feature the commission of acts harming oneself. The "player" is also asked to share photos after finishing each level. The online challenge has claimed several lives worldwide.