Pondy CM appeals to Centre on curbing 'Blue Whale'

Chief Minister V Narayanasamy today demanded the Centre to take immediate steps to prevent spread of online "Blue Whale" challenge, which allegedly induces youths to commit suicide.
A detailed letters would be written to the Prime Minister, Union Home and HRD ministers urging them to bring in effective steps to curb the spread of the menace of the Blue Whale challenge, he said.
The chief minister also noted that timely intervention by the Puducherry police helped in the rescue of a 21-year-old woman bank employee here and also a 22-year-old man in Karaikal in the last few days.
Narayanasamy was speaking at an interaction here on the "Evil effects of Blue Whale game and steps to prevent the challenge."

The meet was organised by the Police Department and Directorate of School Education to sensitise heads of schools, colleges and teachers about the ill-effects of the challenge.
"Teachers should keep a close vigil on mentally depressed and disturbed children and save them from falling a prey to disastrous influences to the detriment of their lives," the Chief Minister said.

He further said that teachers should take up counselling of students whenever they find a change in the attitudinal behaviour of young boys and girls with the cooperation of parents.
Referring to the incidents in the Union Territory, he said the woman bank employee, a proficient sportsperson, was saved when she was in advanced stage of playing the game.

"Along with police officials I met her at her house yesterday and counselled her to come out of the disastrous game," the chief minister said, adding that her talents in boxing would be utilised to train students in schools and colleges.
Narayanasamy said that as far as the suicide by an MBA student, hailing from Assam in Pondicherry University last week was concerned, it was yet to be confirmed whether it was due to his playing "Blue Whale challenge."
"Police investigation was on and the real cause of the death of the student would be known at the end of the probe," he said.

He asked the police departmentto strengthen the cyber crime wing to work out cases related to internet and online games.
He appealed to teachers to establish close rapport with students and keep a vigil on their behaviour.
Director General of Police S K Gautam, who spoke on the occasion said Puducherry recorded 43 suicides per lakh of population as against the national average of 10 per lakh according to statistics.
He said to tackle the menace of suicides an anti-suicide campaign was launched by police stations here and it had now been assessed that due to sustained campaigns it had fallen by ten per cent.

A rally would be held here on "World Anti Suicide Day" on September 10, he said and appealed to teachers and heads of schools present at the meeting to bring in more children to make the event a success.