VIJAYAWADA: A 15-year-old boy allegedly committed suicide after family members teased him for losing a PUBG mobile game in Machilipatnam on Sunday.The deceased boy was identified as Vutukuru Prabhu, a class IX student.
He went to Machilipatnam to spend summer holidays with his father and family members. Prabhu’s father and mother got divorced a few years ago and he is currently residing with his mother in Vijayawada, said the police.
According to Chilakalapudi Circle Inspector V Narayana, Prabhu and his cousins played Player Unknown's Battlegrounds (PUBG), a multi-player survival combat game, on Saturday night and he reportedly lost the game. The family members allegedly teased Prabhu and his father forbade him from playing the game continuously for hours. He was allegedly upset and depressed over making fun of him in front of other cousins.
"After dinner, he slept alone in a room and committed suicide by hanging. Family members said the boy used to play games on the mobile phone most of the time and was depressed after making fun of him for losing the game. When his father knocked on the door on Sunday morning, he did not open. The family members broke open the door only to see the boy hanging from the fan," said the inspector Narayana.
However, his mother Poornima raised doubts over Prabhu’s death. "Based on her complaint, a case of suspicious death under Section 174 of the CrPC was registered.," Narayana added.
(If you are having suicidal thoughts, or are worried about a friend or need emotional support, someone is always there to listen. Call Sneha Foundation - 04424640050 or iCall, the Tata Institute of Social Sciences' helpline - 02225521111, which is available Monday to Saturday from 8 am to 10 pm)