Tragically, three siblings leapt to their death from their ninth-floor apartment in Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh, India in the early hours of Wednesday. The girls, identified as Pakhi, Prachi, and Nishika aged 12, 14, and 16 respectively, had reportedly developed an obsession with Korean culture and online gaming. Their parents had recently confiscated their mobile phones.
The tragedy unfolded at approximately 2:15 a.m. on February 4 at the Bharat City Society apartment complex. The sisters locked themselves on their balcony and jumped one after the other. Their parents and neighbors were alerted by their screams, but before their parents could break down the balcony door, all three had already fallen.
“When we reached the scene, we confirmed that three girls, daughters of Chetan Kumar, had died after jumping from the building,” ACP Atul Kumar Singh reported.
The girls were pronounced dead at Loni Hospital. An eight-page suicide note was discovered in a pocket diary. The note contained messages to their father, including “Sorry Papa” and “Korea is our life,” indicative of their inability to abandon their obsession.
DCP Nimish Patel revealed that the parents had restricted the girls’ mobile phone use and had temporarily seized their phones. The girls were said to have been deeply affected by this ban.
The sisters had become engrossed in Korean culture, even adopting Korean names, and were addicted to a particular online Korean task-based game. Their addiction started during the COVID-19 pandemic, when they spent more time at home, leading to increased screen time and gaming. The girls had stopped attending school two years prior, their lives increasingly dominated by their digital world.
Evident in their bedroom wall writings, messages like “I am very very alone,” revealed the girls’ emotional state. The sisters were inseparable, even eating and bathing together, a bond that extended to their online activities. Prachi, the middle sister, was the group’s leader.
Chetan Kumar, the father, is married to two sisters and has five daughters. Two of the deceased girls were from one wife, while the third was from the other, making them half-sisters who nonetheless shared a close bond.
Arun Singh, a neighbor, witnessed the horrific event. He recounted seeing one sister attempting to stop the others from jumping. It is suggested that two of the sisters may have fallen in an attempted rescue of the third, turning what started as a suicide attempt by one into a desperate rescue effort that ended in a tragedy for all three.
The neighbor also recounted that it took an hour for an ambulance to arrive. Police are currently investigating the role of online gaming in the deaths, although no specific game has been named. The suicide note provided detailed information about the girls’ mobile and gaming activities, offering investigators insight into their digital lives.
The father expressed his ignorance of his daughters’ gaming addiction and warned other parents about the dangers of unsupervised gaming. He voiced regret over not knowing the nature of the tasks the games might have assigned to his daughters, stating he would have prohibited them from playing if he had known.
This incident underscores the potential influence of online content and gaming on minors across India. Task-oriented games, which require players to complete certain tasks to progress, have been linked to dangerous behavior among youth in many countries. These games often provide psychological rewards that can foster addictive patterns, particularly in susceptible adolescents.
Increased screen time observed in children and adolescents worldwide during the pandemic has led to a rise in concerns about gaming addiction among mental health professionals. Some young individuals have developed problematic gaming behaviors that persisted even after pandemic restrictions were lifted.
The Korean Wave, or Hallyu, has spread across Asia and beyond, introducing Korean music, TV dramas, films, and gaming culture to international audiences. While this cultural wave has largely been beneficial, it can sometimes lead to intense parasocial relationships and obsessive behaviors among young fans who may lack the emotional maturity to maintain healthy boundaries.
Mental health experts stress the importance of parental monitoring of children’s online activities and suggest open communication and understanding, rather than solely punitive measures. When parents encounter problematic behaviors, abrupt restrictions without addressing the underlying emotional needs can sometimes amplify distress rather than alleviate it. Striking a balance between protecting children and maintaining trust necessitates ongoing dialogue about digital wellness.
The case also underscores the challenges that families face in understanding their children’s digital lives. Many parents grapple with understanding the games and online communities their children participate in, creating a knowledge gap that can prevent early intervention when issues arise. Educational programs aimed at helping parents understand gaming culture and recognize signs of addiction have become increasingly vital.
Warning signs of gaming addiction can include withdrawal from family and friends, declining academic performance, loss of interest in previously enjoyed activities, disrupted sleep patterns, and emotional distress when gaming is not possible. In this tragic case, the girls had stopped attending school two years prior, a significant red flag indicating severe disruption to normal developmental activities.
