Cops find no evidence to support Blue Whale challenge theory floated by Mumbai boy’s friends

According to sources, the boy’s school friends had circulated messages in a WhatsApp group about him undertaking the Blue Whale challenge.

The police team, which is probing the suicide of the 14-year-old boy from Andheri (East), have have not been able to find any evidence of the game being the reason behind the suicide. They have sent his mobile phone to the state forensic science laboratory (FSL) to find out if he had deleted anything from the phone. The theory of him taking the Blue Whale challenge was floated by his school friends.

According to sources, the boy’s school friends had circulated messages in a WhatsApp group about him undertaking the Blue Whale challenge. Police said that as per an eye witness, the boy was seen clicking a picture while he was seated and walking on the boundary wall of his terrace. The boy had sent the pictures to his friends.

A day before committing suicide the boy had sent a message to one of his friends that he will be ending his life. The boy’s friend, thinking that it was a joke, sarcastically replied saying that he would attend his funeral, said a police official. The source added that the boy had told another friend that he will not be coming to school from Monday.

The police are now trying to find out who these friends were who circulated the messages about him taking up the Blue Whale challenge. A police official said, “Now, most of the children are keeping mum about the issue. No one is ready to speak about the incident.”

Till Tuesday, the police did not come across any evidence which could link the boy’s suicide to the suicide challenge. However, they are yet to rule out the possibility of the suicide being linked to it. They said the FSL report on his mobile phone is awaited, and may provide them with some leads.

The police recorded statements of his parents for an hour on Monday, but said they have idea why he took the extreme step. They said he wanted to become a pilot. He used to play with his friends from the building, but never went out of the building on his own. He was always accompanied by his family members. They said his behavior had not changed at all. He had left home around 4.30pm Saturday, saying that he will return in sometime.

His teachers said he was a “bright” student.