Jodhpur: A girl studying in class 10 tried to commit suicide by jumping into a lake here as part of the Blue Whale Challenge but was rescued, the police said today.
The girl, who told her parents that she was going to meet her friends, carved the shape of a whale on her arm and threw away her mobile phone before jumping into the Kailana lake last night, they said.
According to her rescuer Om Prakash, she even tried to resist the attempt to save her.
“The moment she jumped into the lake, I jumped in after her and took her out immediately, before informing the police,” he said.
SHO (Rajiv Gandhi Nagar) Lekhraj Sihag said the girl has been handed over to her parents, who had no idea about her fascination with the online challenge. They took her to a counselor today.
“We rushed to the spot and found her desperate to commit suicide. On asking that why she wanted to do this, she said that she had been taking part in the Blue Whale Challenge for some time and as a last task, was supposed to kill herself.
She was told that if she failed to do so, her mother would die,” Sihag said.
The officer said the father of the girl works with the BSF and lives in Mandore area.
Former chief minister Ashok Gehlot tweeted that the central government must have a dedicated task force of experts to block the “game” in India.
PCC Chief Sachin Pilot has also demanded a quick action to ban the “game” immediately so that the lives of young people could be saved.
The Blue Whale Challenge, which originated in Russia, involves people being given given tasks to complete over a period of 50 days and ends with their suicide.
These challenges feature the commission of acts harming oneself. The “player” is also asked to share photos after finishing each level. The online challenge has claimed several lives worldwide.
–PTI