Blue Whale challenge: Maharashtra government mulls ban on online suicide game

The state government will seek the help of the Centre to ban the game and check its spread.

The Maharashtra government said that it is contemplating imposing a ban on the Blue Whale challenge, an online suicide game, after it was suspected to be the reason behind the death of a 14-year-old boy. The boy allegedly committed suicide by jumping off the terrace of his five-floor building at Andheri (East) on Saturday. The matter was raised in the state assembly on Tuesday.

The state government will seek the help of the Centre to ban the game and check its spread. Since the game is being controlled online by people outside India, it may not be easy for the government to impose a complete ban on it.

Chief minister Devendra Fadnavis said, “It is an online game and we will see if it can be controlled. We are probing the tragic suicide of a student due to the Blue Whale game. The state government will further coordinate with the Centre to take action and remedies.”

The incident has sparked fears that the dangerous self-harm game could have made its way to India through social media.

Senior NCP legislator and former deputy chief minister, Ajit Pawar, raised the issue in the state assembly. He said the suicide of the boy is an alarm bell. “After claiming more than 100 lives across countries, the game has reached India and the boy has become its first victim. Those who play this game are controlled by a master to carry out various tasks. This master further pushes the player to commit suicide to win the game. The police should probe who the boy’s master was and take action against him,” Pawar said.