Cyber Crime
Gaming Addiction? 14-Year-Old Boy Found Hanging, Parents Blame Free Fire Game
MUMBAI: A 13-year-old boy addicted to the now-banned smartphone game Free Fire hanged himself at his Dadar home, bringing to light the dangers of online gaming once more.
Tirthesh Khanolkar was said to have spent the previous two to three months playing the game, which was outlawed in India the day after his death, with six of his schoolmates. The authorities have enlisted the help of cyber experts to check his phone.
According to the Bhoiwada police, Tirthesh Chetan Khanolkar’s death had something to do with Free Fire, though his cell phone has been transferred to cyber experts for a thorough examination. They will now record the remarks of Tirthesh’s six friends who were also playing the game with him.
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Free Fire is a battle royale-style mobile game in which 50 players engage in a deathmatch. According to cops, the nature of the game makes it addictive, and children frequently fall victim to it. On February 14, the Centre stopped it, citing security concerns.
Shivneri Society on Dadasaheb Falke Marg, Dadar East, is home to the boy’s family. Tirthesh, according to his father Chetan, excelled in both academics and cricket. He claimed Tirthesh committed suicide on the evening of February 13 while they were visiting a relative.
The boy called Chetan at 7.22 p.m., but he couldn’t take the call because he was riding his bike. Chetan dialled his son’s phone number several times until 7.30 p.m., but there was no answer.
Despite ringing the doorbell, he did not open the door when he arrived home. Chetan then peered through a window and discovered him suspended from a ceiling fan.
“My child excelled in academics and was ranked among the top 25 cricket players in his school. His demise has no other explanation than this Free Fire game. He had been playing for around 2-3 months. The school was closed during the lockdown, and I purchased him a smartphone for his online studies. I told him many times that he would become addicted to his phone, and then it occurred. I urge all parents to forbid their children from playing online games. I lost my son as a result of that,” the parent explained.
“We found no other cause for the suicide,” said Zone 4 DCP Vijay Patil.
The officer said we only found games on his cell phone. We also looked through his browsing history, which revealed that he was interested in games and cricket.
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“We suspect the Free Fire game,” DCP Patil stated, adding that it was banned in India within a day of the suicide. We’re enlisting the assistance of cyber experts. We’ll also enlist the assistance of others in the gaming sector. Clothes had been used to cover the boy’s eyes. We don’t understand.”
According to the officer, children have committed suicide as a result of Free Fire.
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