Blue Whale Challenge: Kerala woman says game killed 16-year-old son last month

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New Delhi: A Kerala-based woman claims that her minor son, who hanged himself last month, was a victim of the infamous Blue Whale Challenge.

Hailing from Thiruvananthapuram, 16-year-old Manoj C Manu hanged himself on July 26 at his residence.

Kerala: Investigation team collecting evidence Manoj's house,who committed suicide on Jul 26 under suspected influence of 'Blue Whale' game— ANI (@ANI) August 16, 2017

Earlier, Manu's family cited a failed relationship and his mother's scoldings as the probable reasons behind his suicide.

The family filed a fresh complaint three days ago, following the news of recent suicides in connection with the online Blue Whale game, said South Zone IG Manoj Abraham.

"Blue Whale challenge involves a series of tasks, including self-harm. The boy’s body should have wounds, inflicted as part of tasks. However, the post-mortem report hadn’t indicated any such wound. Besides, in Blue Whale, a player should jump to death. Here, the boy hanged himself.

"The Blue Whale challenge is only a doubt of the family. We are looking into that aspect and have seized his phone and computer," added Abraham.

The woman has claimed that her teenage son once informed her that he had downloaded the Blue Whale game.

Meanwhile on Tuesday, the government has directed internet and social media giants Google, Facebook, Whatsapp, Instagram, Microsoft and Yahoo to immediately remove the links of the Blue Whale Challenge game.