Three minor sisters died after allegedly jumping from the balcony of a ninth-floor apartment in Ghaziabad in the early hours of Wednesday, with police investigating a possible link to their addiction to an online Korean mobile game.
According to Assistant Commissioner of Police (Shalimar Garden) Atul Kumar Singh, preliminary investigations suggest that the sisters were addicted to an online task-based interactive game, commonly referred to as a “love game.” Their parents had reportedly objected to the excessive time they spent playing the game.
Police received information around 2.15 am that three girls had jumped from the balcony of a ninth-floor flat in a tower located in Bharat City, under the jurisdiction of the Teela Mor police station in the Sahibabad area.
When police reached the spot, they found that the sisters — Nishika (16), Prachi (14) and Pakhi (12), daughters of Chetan Kumar — had fallen to the ground floor and sustained critical injuries. They were rushed by ambulance to a hospital in Loni, where doctors declared them brought dead.
Police said the sisters had become heavily engaged in online gaming during the COVID-19 period and had reportedly not attended school regularly since then. They were known to spend most of their time together, doing everything jointly, including daily activities and gaming.
The exact circumstances that led to the incident are still under investigation. Police are recording statements from family members and examining all possible factors that may have contributed to the tragic event.