How mobile game addiction pushed this schoolboy to kill his mom and sister

coastaldigest.com web desk
December 10, 2017

The 15-year-old boy who reportedly confessed to police that he had killed his mother and sister at their house in Noida recently was addicted to a violent gangster game played on mobile phones.

Anjali Agarwal (42) and her 12-year-old daughter, Kanika, were found beaten and stabbed to death at their residence on the night of December 4; the boy was reported missing since that day. He was caught in Varanasi and brought back to Noida on December 8, where he confessed to police.

The police said that the boy’s father, a businessman, told them that his son spent most of his time playing the game. He told them that the boy had been seen playing the game on his mother’s phone over the last two months after he had seized the boy’s phone in September.

The statement was made by the businessman on Thursday during police questioning. Ajay Kumar Sharma, investigating officer of Noida police, said, “The boy’s father told us that he used to play the game — High School Gangster Escape — most of the time on his phone. He also told us that the boy was not at all interested in studies.”

The investigator also said that the father had enquired his son about the game, who told him that it was a crime-thriller game and he liked it.

“The father is indicating that the game might have influenced him. We have read about the game’s features, which suggest it is about committing crimes and escaping. There are chances that he may commit more such crimes, under the influence of the game,” Sharma said.

The content rating of Google Play for this game, High School Gangster Escape, is 16+ and contains strong violence.

Comments

Parson
 - 
Monday, 11 Dec 2017

Really sad. Kids shud be monitored by parents. Technology sucks in every minute. too much technology in life is too bad. Google play is also not safe when it comes for purchasing anything on bank cards. its better to buy apple products, so that u can track ur kids through your Iphone too. Google needs to build up security measures for the Apps in the store. Every next person creates app & nobody is bothered to check on the same. There are so many junk apps too in google play.

Hari
 - 
Sunday, 10 Dec 2017

@Kumar.. Govt body should come to monitor those contents. There are many apps and games which are inapropriate to age groups. Now even small children also using smart phones

Kumar
 - 
Sunday, 10 Dec 2017

Some countries properly monitering google play store contents. Should monitor contents for India too

Ganesh
 - 
Sunday, 10 Dec 2017

Govt should ban such games

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News Network
July 12,2020

Thiruvananthapuram, Jul 12: At least 66 children have ended their lives in Kerala since the Covid-19 lockdown began on March 25 with youngsters facing stress unable to bear the unprecedented situation where schools are shut and friends are out of reach to share their woes.

According to Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, there has been an increasing instance of suicidal tendencies among children in the state due to various reasons, including parents scolding them over mobile phone use and failure to attend online classes.

This has prompted the government to launch a teleconsultation facility for children facing stress and also cautioning parents against hurting their sentiments while being concerned about welfare of their wards. It has also ordered a study into the issue. "Among the children an increasing instance of suicidal tendency is being witnessed which will become an extremely serious social issue.

Since March 25, when the national lockdown was imposed, 66 children, below 18 years of age, have ended their lives due to various reasons", Vijayan said. A mother scolding her child for not attending the ongoing online classes, or a parent questioning a child for downloading a sleazy video on the smartphone or the constant rift between the parents were among the reasons which triggered the suicidal tendency, he said on Saturday.

As the schools have not yet re-opened due to the lockdown, the children are unable to meet their friends and share their problems. Vijayan said though the parents were intervening keeping in mind their child's welfare, it was essential to ensure that the young minds were not hurt in the process. To helpthe children facing issues relating to mental pressures, 'Chiri'atele-counselling initiative has been started by the government under its Our Responsibility to Children Programme (ORC), a planned community intervention that connects with people between the age of 12-18 years. The state health department has also launched "Ottakalla Oppamundu" (You are not alone,we are with you) programmeto help children facing any kind of mental distress and to prevent the suicidal tendencies among them.

Health Minister K K Shailaja said under the psychosocial support assistance, her department has so far reached out to 68,814 children and 10,890 children have been given counselling. The changes in the behaviour of their children should be noted by the family members and if they find something amiss, the district psychosocial help desk should be informed, she said. A 15-member team of Students Police Cadets will be constituted in each of the 14 districts to help the children needing any assistance,police sources said. Education should not be a competition, but a means to gain knowledge, Vijayan said.

A society's future lies with the children and it is the duty of the society and the government to ensure their physical and mental well being. Taking a serious view of the situation, the state government has constituteda committee headed byFire and Rescue Services DGP R Sreelekha to conduct a study on child suicides in the state. The aim of the ORC was also to create a multi collaborative platform for government and professional agencies, parents and teachers to equip youth with appropriate know-how to face challenges, officials said. 

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coastaldigest.com web desk
June 25,2020

Bengaluru, Jun 25: In the wake of unexpected surge in the coronavirus positive cases in Bengaluru, the special task force team assigned with the task of creating Covid Care Centres (CCC) has made elaborate arrangements the Haj Bhavan.

Civic authorities have already shifted around 50 Covid-19 patients to Haj Bhavan. 

BBMP Commissioner B H Anil Kumar said on Thursday that due to an increase in the number of cases and due to shortage of beds in hospitals, the Haj Bhavan has been converted into CCC.

Headed by Rajendar Kumar Kataria, Secretary, Horticulture and Sericulture department, the CCC task force has arranged 400 beds at Haj Bhavan. 

“The facility at Haj Bhavan has already been made operational. Doctors, nurses, paramedical and house-keeping staff from BBMP have been deployed as per SOPs. All essential equipment, medicines and other facilities have been made available in adequate numbers at the Haj Bhavan,” Kataria explained.

In the second phase, the task force team has identified hostel rooms of seven engineering colleges, which would fetch about 3,200 beds to house asymptomatic Covid-19 patients. 

If need arises, the task team in the third and final phase, will consider the facilities such as Palace Grounds, Bengaluru International Exhibition Centre, Indoor Stadiums at Kanteerava and Koramangala to be converted as CCC.

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coastaldigest.com news network
February 5,2020

Bengaluru, Jan 5: B S Yediyurappa-led Karnataka cabinet has finally decided to resume supply of subsidised rice and wheat to students of welfare institutions and hostels including those run by religious mutts under the Dasoha Scheme’s welfare programme. The supply was stopped over two months ago.

“Cabinet has decided to continue supply of subsidised foodgrains (rice and wheat) for the benefit of 37,700 children under the Dasoha scheme in 351 welfare institutions for the next one year at the cost of Rs 18 crore,” said J C Madhuswamy, Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister. Under this scheme, institutions that provide free accommodation and food for students are entitled to avail 10 kg rice and 5 kg wheat per student every month at subsidised rates. But following a central government directive in November, the state government had stopped supply to private institutions since December.

Hours before the cabinet meeting, Khader addressed a press conference and said, “This government is snatching away food from children by stalling the supply of foodgrains. Institutions like Suttur Mutt, Siddaganga Mutt that have worldwide fame for their service are being inconvenienced by this,” Khader said.

Finding itself in a fix, especially in a matter that involves mutts, the cabinet was quick to restore the supply. “Foodgrains were being supplied to 183 government-run institutions and 281 institutions run by private entities. As per a central government directive, supply to private institutions was stopped but the decision was made by the previous government,” Shashikala Jolle, Women and Child Development Minister, said.

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