What Led to the Death of 14-Year-Old Ansh Sahu in Bhopal? Online Gaming Addiction Under Police Scanner

Bhopal: A 14-year-old school student allegedly died by suicide at his residence in Bhopal, with police investigating whether online gaming addiction played a role in the incident. The deceased has been identified as Ansh Sahu, an eighth-grade student and the only son of his parents.

According to police, the incident occurred when Ansh’s parents were away attending a funeral ceremony. When they returned home, they found their son hanging and immediately alerted the authorities. Police reached the spot and initiated an investigation. The family has been left devastated by the loss.

Officials said no suicide note was found at the scene. Ansh’s mobile phone was recovered from his room and has been seized for forensic and digital examination.

Family members told the police that Ansh was addicted to playing the mobile game Free Fire. They claimed the boy was under pressure to complete a task associated with the game, following which he allegedly took the extreme step. However, police said the exact reason behind the suicide is yet to be established and all possible angles are being examined.

The case is being investigated by the Piplani police station. Statements of family members and people close to the boy are being recorded as part of the inquiry.

Additional Deputy Commissioner of Police Gautam Solanki said police are analysing the contents of the mobile phone and probing whether any online game, challenge, or external pressure influenced the boy. He added that investigators are also examining whether there is any link to so-called online challenge games, including the Blue Whale game, which has been associated with similar cases in the past.

Police officials said further details will emerge after the digital analysis is completed and statements are verified.

The Bhopal incident comes amid growing concerns over online gaming addiction among minors. Earlier, three minor sisters died after allegedly jumping from the ninth floor of a residential building in Ghaziabad’s Bharat City society.

In that case too, police are examining a mobile game challenge angle after investigators found references to a list of tasks on a mobile phone recovered from the scene. The exact reasons behind the Ghaziabad incident are also under investigation.

Further investigation in the Bhopal case is underway.

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