State’s IT blocks blue whale links

Mumbai: With incidents of suicide in Mumbai and across the country on the rise due to the online ‘Blue Whale Challenge’, the Maharashtra  police’s IT wing has started blocking web links after a 14-year-old boy in Andheri committed suicide earlier this month.

The central government has ordered blocking of web links that provide access to the controversial game.

The move comes after it came to light that the game leads to suicidal tendencies among players.

Brijesh Singh, inspector general of police, Maharashtra cyber police, said, "We are reporting to the central government on our progress. We have banned all sites providing access to the blue whale. Only awareness is a solution for this." The cyber police started blocking web links brought to its notice by users, however, newer links kept coming up requiring holistic action, officials said.

Maharashtra cyber cell superintendent of police, Balsingh Rajput, said, "We have been blocking all web links related to the 'blue whale' game. We have not left any stone unturned but sometimes, links are shared which is difficult to trace. We are in constant touch with the internet service provider (ISP) but most of the time we advise that links be blocked."

The state authorities woke up to the dangers of the game after one Manpreet Singh jumped from the seventh floor of an Andheri building as part of the game's final challenge. Manpreet's internet browsing history as gleaned from his mobile phone and desktop computer took the police back to the game. Manpreet, a student of standard IX, had discussed the online game with his friends on WhatsApp. The game continues over a period of 50 days and ends with a suicide dare, which Manpreet took. He is the first Indian victim of this game that has claimed several lives in Russia and Europe.