KOZHIKODE: Hundreds of youngsters and teenagers from across the state are feared to have fallen
prey to ‘customised death groups’ operating online. The police stumbled upon this finding while investigating the back-to-back incidents of teen suicides reported from Kaniyambetta in Wayanad district.
In the first incident, Ahmed Shabeer, 17, hanged himself in his house on September 26. Not surprisingly, this remained just another teenage suicide case for the police and the public. But, the suicide of Sadiq Khan, 17, who was a close friend of Shabeer, in his residence on October 28 fuelled serious doubts about the circumstances leading to their deaths.
Thorough investigations revealed there were ‘definite similarities and interests’ in both the cases. It was found both the victims were active members of a group named ‘Psycho_chekkan’ on Instagram, which glorifies suicide and solitude. They were also ardent lovers of horror movies and the music album ‘Gloomy Sunday’, nicknamed ‘Hungarian suicide song’. Both had hinted at their growing depression and suicidal thoughts via social media posts before taking the extreme step. They even threw parties for their friends just a few days before their deaths.
Further probe into the cases confirmed 13 others, including girls, in their friends’ circle followed similar ‘death groups’. The police were able to quickly intervene and foil the suicide attempt of a third boy after he posted about suicide on social media. Though senior officers said all the 13 were identified and are being closely watched and provided counselling, there is a contradiction here as the officers privy to the investigation said they were able to identify only eight among them, so far.
The most recent findings of the investigation team indicate these teens indulged in illegal activities, including drug peddling, and became agents for reselling bikes and cars and reaped large profits through commission. However, the officers are yet to confirm ‘if these groups doctored the young minds to indulge in such activities or the youngsters were pushed to these pages and groups by some other elements’.
“There is definitely the influence of social media and these ‘death groups’ that led them to take the extreme step,” said Kalpetta DySP Prince Abraham, who is supervising the investigation into the deaths. “But it is learnt it is not just that, there are other elements. We are investigating all possible angles and we are not ruling out anything,” he said.
Investigators suspect the ‘masterminds’ controlling these groups use these malicious death pages to prey on vulnerable young people. “They are exploiting the vulnerability in these children. They test their ‘mental strength to carry out certain nefarious activities’. But, in the case of young boys showing signs of repentance, they push them to commit suicide,” said an officer.
Though there are reports these groups have links to users based in Kasargod and this may be a ploy used by terrorist organisations to lure youngsters to their fold, officers are yet to confirm this. The police are carrying out interrogations of some persons in the case, who they suspect of having some connection with the suicides or who can help them with fresh leads in the case. The police have also launched a detailed investigation into the earlier cases of suicides and accident deaths involving teenagers and youngsters in the district in recent months. It has been revealed the boys who committed suicide and a few others under police surveillance were into racing and stunts.
The police have already expanded the investigation to other districts. According to cyber forensic consultant Dr P Vinod Bhattathiripad, there are many such ‘online death groups’ having links to users based in Kerala - ‘Joker’ and ‘Psycho_joker’ to name a few. “Such groups exist in almost all languages which prove this is not confined to any particular place or region. There should be coordinated and concerted efforts to identify the youngsters who are following such groups and help them with counselling. There should be policing too to expose the criminals behind such groups,” he said.
(Names of victims have been changed)