Three siblings end lives following family dispute over mobile addiction
In a heartbreaking incident that highlights the growing peril of digital addiction among teenagers, three minor sisters allegedly ended their lives in Ghaziabad during the early hours of Wednesday. The siblings, aged 12, 14, and 16, reportedly leapt from the ninth floor of their residential apartment in the Shalimar Garden area.
Preliminary investigations by the local police suggest a disturbing link between the tragedy and "excessive online gaming." Sources close to the investigation revealed that a heated disagreement had occurred between the girls and their parents regarding their increasing dependence on task-based mobile games.
Residents in the vicinity were alerted to the tragedy around 2:00 AM when they heard a loud thud near the building. upon rushing to the spot, they discovered the three girls lying critically injured on the ground and immediately contacted the authorities.
Police Response and Investigation
Atul Kumar Singh, the Assistant Commissioner of Police for Shalimar Garden, confirmed that the control room received a distress call at approximately 2:15 AM. A police team was promptly dispatched to the location.
"The victims were immediately transported via ambulance to a 50-bed hospital in Loni. Tragically, doctors declared all three dead upon arrival. We have initiated legal proceedings and sent the bodies for post-mortem examination," stated ACP Singh.
A Growing Concern
Investigators are currently piecing together the events leading up to the Ghaziabad sisters suicide. A senior officer noted that the girls’ academic performance had recently dipped, with reports indicating they had been frequently skipping school to play online games.
While no suicide note has been recovered from the apartment, officials have seized the mobile phones belonging to the minors. Cyber experts will analyze the devices to determine the nature of the games played and identify any external influences or coercion that may have contributed to this extreme step. Police are also counseling the bereaved family members to understand the sequence of events that transpired on that fateful night.
This incident serves as a grim reminder for parents across the country, including here in Odisha, to monitor digital consumption and maintain open lines of communication with children regarding internet safety.
