In yet another tragic incident linked to online gaming addiction, three minors have been booked for allegedly murdering their 12-year-old friend following a dispute over the game Free Fire.
The victim, identified as Pravin Rathod, a sixth-grade student, was found dead in a garden near a temple in Bela village, Rapar taluka, on Tuesday. A relative of the deceased filed a complaint at Balasar police station under BNS Section 103(1).
According to the complaint, Pravin had accompanied his family for cumin harvesting in the morning. After lunch, he went to a garden near Bileshwar Mahadev Temple to meet his friends, with whom he regularly played the mobile game Free Fire. When he refused to share his game ID, his friends became enraged. They allegedly held him down and fatally attacked him with sharp objects.
Balasar police have launched an investigation into the case. They are collecting evidence, verifying the ages of the accused, and searching for the weapons used in the crime.