JAIPUR: A 16-year-old Class 11 student allegedly died by suicide in Kota after his father took away his mobile phone when he was playing a digital game, police said on Monday.
According to the family, the teenager frequently used his mobile phone and was playing a game on Sunday evening when his father repeatedly asked him to stop. Eventually, the father took the phone away, angering his son, who allegedly consumed poison a little later.
The teenager’s condition deteriorated later in the evening and he collapsed. When family members questioned him, he told them that he had consumed poison. He was immediately rushed to a private hospital, where he died during treatment. The incident left the family devastated.
The teenager was the only son of his parents and is survived by a sister. His father, a heart patient who works as a house painter, fell ill following his son’s death. His condition deteriorated outside the mortuary on Monday.
The boy’s uncle, Sant Ram, said the teenager used his phone frequently and his father would often ask him to reduce its use. “The deceased used his phone a lot every day. When his father stopped him as usual, he took the extreme step. Later, his condition deteriorated.
When we questioned him, he told us that he had consumed poison. But before we could save him, he died during treatment,” Sant Ram said.
Dadabari police station officer Baldev Ram said the police shifted the body to the mortuary of the new hospital at the medical college for a postmortem examination.
Initially, the family refused to allow the postmortem and said they did not want any action in the case. The procedure was delayed as police and doctors tried to persuade them. They agreed, following which the postmortem was conducted.
HELPLINE
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, Tele Manas - 14416 (available 24x7) or Call, the Tata Institute of Social Sciences’ helpline - 02225521111, which is available Monday to Saturday from 8 am to 10 pm.