Teenager spends Rs 10 lakh from mother's account for PUBG, flees home

The Mumbai teen was reprimanded by his parents, following which he ran away from home. With the help of informants and technical analysis, the crime branch team managed to trace the boy the next day, and sent him home

Pic courtesy: Pixabay (representational purpose)

Mumbai: One more case of online gaming addiction, which forces youngsters to go to any length, has come to light. A 16-year-old boy from the western suburb of Jogeshwari, Mumbai, allegedly spend Rs 10 lakh - yes you heard that right! -  through online transactions for playing PUBG, the police said on Friday (August 27). He was reprimanded by his parents, following which he ran away from home.

The police subsequently traced the runaway teen to Mahakali Caves area in Andheri (east) and sent him back to his parents, an official said. The incident came to light on Wednesday (August 25) evening, after the boy's father approached the MIDC police station with a missing person's complaint, and since the boy is a minor, the police registered a case of kidnapping and a search was launched, the official said.

During the probe, the boy's parents informed the police that the teenager had been addicted to PUBG since last month, and while playing on the mobile phone, he spent Rs 10 lakh from his mother's bank account to get an ID and virtual currency to play the game, he said. When the parents found out about the online transaction, they scolded the boy, following which he wrote a letter and left the home, the official said.

With the help of informants and technical analysis, the crime branch team managed to trace the boy the next day, who was sent back to his parents after counselling, he added.