It looks PUBG Mobile is still being held responsible for suicides, even after its ban. As per a report by PTI, a 21-year-old student in West Bengal’s Nadia district allegedly committed suicide for not being able to play the game following the ban. As per the police, the student was found hanging in his house on Friday.
PTI’s report notes that after he had his breakfast, the victim went to his room. However, when his mother went to call him for lunch, his room was locked from inside. After the student did not respond to calls to open the door, his mother called the neighbours who broke into the room and found him hanging from the ceiling. The mother notes that her son was apparently frustrated for not being able to play PUBG Mobile.
After talking to the family members, the police say that the student killed himself for not being able to play the game, which was blocked by the government last week.
https://twitter.com/PTI_News/status/1302628836178145280?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
To recall, the Government of India banned PUBG Mobile, PUBG Mobile Lite and 116 other games. The move came a couple of weeks after the government banned 59 apps including TikTok. All the apps were banned citing security concerns as all of them were linked to China. After the initial ban of 59 apps, there was some debate whether PUBG Mobile would be banned as there was some confusion over the origins of the game as the parent company of PUBG, Krafton Game Union, is South Korean and is responsible for the PC and console versions of the game. However, the mobile version of the game was developed and published by Tencent.
This is possibly the first death that has been attributed to the game post its ban in India. Prior to the ban, a number of deaths were linked to the game. This ranged from suicide to strokes. Players who are feeling depressed following the banning of the game are advised to seek help and support. Then may also consider playing any of the many alternatives.