In a chilling incident that has sent shockwaves through the National Capital Region, three biological sisters—aged 12, 14, and 16—lost their lives after jumping from the ninth floor of their apartment building in Ghaziabad. The tragedy, fueled by a severe mobile game addiction, has once again highlighted the dark side of unregulated digital content and its impact on adolescent mental health.
The sisters, identified as Nishika (16), Prachi (14), and Pakhi (12), reportedly jumped from the balcony of Flat 907 in the India City B-1 Tower at approximately 2:00 AM on Tuesday.
The Final Note: ‘Sorry Papa, We Could Not Quit’
The local police recovered an 18-page suicide note spread across a diary in the girls' room. The message was a harrowing testament to the grip of digital dependency. One entry read: “Mom-Dad, sorry… I cannot quit the game. Now you will realize how much we loved the game, which you wanted us to give up.”
According to Additional Police Commissioner (Law and Order) Alok Priyadarshi, the sisters locked their room from the inside, used a stool to reach the balcony railing, and jumped one by one from a height of nearly 80 feet.
A Secret World: The Rise of the ‘Death Commander’
The father of the girls, Chetan—who works in online share trading—revealed the extent of the tragedy. He noted that his daughters had been obsessed with a task-based Korean "love game" for three years. The mobile game addiction was so intense that:
-
The sisters had stopped attending school two years ago.
-
They isolated themselves from the community, refusing to speak to neighbors.
-
They exhibited "bonded" behavior, even refusing to go to the bathroom or bathe separately.
The most disturbing detail involved the hierarchy created by the game. The middle sister, Prachi (14), reportedly took on the persona of a game character known as the "Death Commander." She would assign tasks to her older and younger sisters, which they would follow without question.
Why This Matters: The Warning Signs of Digital Obsession
This incident is a grim reminder of the "Blue Whale" and "Momo Challenge" scares of previous years, where gamified tasks led to self-harm. In this case, the girls expressed a desperate desire to "go to Korea," likely influenced by the idealized world within the game.
Experts suggest that when digital worlds become more rewarding than reality, children enter a state of "dissociative fugue," where the consequences of the physical world—including death—feel less real than the objectives of the game.
Conclusion: A Wake-up Call for Parents
The Ghaziabad tragedy is a plea for better digital literacy and mental health intervention. While the police investigation continues, the loss of three young lives underscores the need for parents to monitor screen time and seek professional help if a child shows signs of extreme withdrawal or personality changes linked to gaming.
How can we protect our children from predatory digital content?
-
Set Tech-Free Zones: Ensure bedrooms are screen-free after a certain hour.
-
Monitor Behavioral Shifts: Sudden school refusal and social isolation are major red flags.
-
Encourage Real-World Socialization: Balance digital play with physical activities.
