Madurai: Taking cognisance of newspaper reports on ‘Blue Whale’ video game induced suicide of a 19-year-old college student in Tamil Nadu, the Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court on Friday suo motu took up the issue in view of larger public interest.
“There is no proper mechanism as of now to put an end to this dangerous game and to do counselling to the students or undertake social awareness and to keep a check on Internet cafes,” observed the division bench comprising Justices K K Sasidharan and G R Swaminathan while directing the registrar (Judicial) to register a public interest writ petition.
The court impleaded the secretary to Government, Union Ministry of Communications, New Delhi, the official in-charge, Computer Emergency Response Team, Union Ministry of Communications, the principal secretary to Government, Home department, Tamil Nadu, the Director General of Police, Tamil Nadu, among others as respo-ndents and posted the case for hearing on September 4.
“Time has come now to act swiftly to curb the cancerous growth of this game. The parents, police and the general public must also rise to the occasion,” said the judges.
The college boy J Vignesh alias Vicky from Vilacherry, Madurai city took his life after playing the game on September 30 and in his suicide note had stated, “Blue Whale was not a game, but a disaster,” the court pointed out.
The online activities of children remain unchecked and the Internet cafes across the State also appear to be promoting the online game ‘Blue Whale Challenge’, observed Justice Sasidharan.
“We are informed that only vulnerable adolescents are targeted in this dangerous game and this is proved by the fact that youth below 25 alone were the victims of this game so far,” said the Court.
The administrator of the game is playing with the lives of the youth and they are aware of the exact location of the player, said the judges adding that there was an emergent need to curb this menace game.
The parents had a primary responsibility to watch as to what their children were doing with their smart phones and computers. And those who were playing the game must be given counselling and they should be made to un-install the game, said the court.
The judges also impleaded the directors of Social Welfare, School Education, Collegiate Education, Madurai district collector, city police commissioner and the SP as respondents in the case.
