After Kota minor hangs self, mobile app TiKTok expresses concern

After a 12-year-old boy accidentally choked himself to death allegedly while attempting to shoot and upload his video on TikTok, in Kota, the mobile app team showed their concern regarding the case on Saturday.

"We would like to confirm that there is no such hashtag challenge or activity that TikTok is promoting on its app. TikTok in no way endorses, promotes or encourages its users to engage in any behaviour that might cause harm to oneself or anyone else either via challenges or content published," TikTok team said in a statement.

"We have a zero tolerance policy on content and behaviour that is against our Community Guidelines," they added. The mobile app team also expressed their condolences for the family and friends of the deceased.

"Initial probe suggests that boy might have killed himself accidentally while trying to make a video for Tik Tok," police said.

The incident took place on June 22. The family of the victim said that when they found the boy he was sporting sindoor (vermillion), 'mangalsutra' (a sacred thread worn by Hindu married women) and bangles. He hanged himself from a noose in his bathroom as a part of the TikTok challenge.

"If it was not for TikTok then my child would have been alive," the father of the boy said.

The boy was declared dead upon being brought to the hospital. His body has been shifted in a government hospital for postmortem.

A case has been registered and further investigation is underway.