A 21-year old student from West Bengal’s Nadia district reportedly took his own life after a nation-wide ban was imposed on popular battle royale gaming title PUBG Mobile, said the local police. The ITI student, Pritam Halder was found hanging in his apartment in Purba Lalpur in the Chakdaha police station area.
As per a report by India TV, Pritam returned to his room on Friday morning after having breakfast. “When I went to call him for lunch, his room was locked from inside. After repeated bangings when he did not open the door, I called the neighbors. They broke into the room and found him hanging from the ceiling fan,” said Ratna, Pritam’s mother. The victim’s family comprises Pritam’s sister, mother Ratna, a homemaker, and father Biswajit Halder, an army man.
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The police have stated that they have registered a case of unnatural death. The victim’s mother claimed that Pritam was frustrated for not being able to PUBG Mobile post the recently imposed ban on the game. “He would play it at night. I think he died by suicide as he was not being able to play PUBG,” she said, as per the report.
The event occurred on Friday, merely two days after the Government of India banned PUBG Mobile in the country along with over 100 Chinese applications over data-privacy issues. India is not the first country to have banned the popular Tencent owned, which is considered to be a global multiplayer phenomenon at this point. Other countries, including neighboring country Pakistan, have banned PUBG Mobile in recent history.
Not the first death that is linked to the PUBG
The case comes as the latest in a row of sad occurrences revolving around the game. We have, over the past few months, seen families lose their money and dear ones, reportedly due to the game.
PUBG Mobile’s addiction is a cause of concern for many people, including parents. However, one thing must be remembered. Addiction to the point of taking one’s own life is a sign of underlying mental health issues like depression. It is imperative that mental health is taken more seriously during times like these, rather than simply blaming a video game for kids and young adults taking their own lives.
