Police say brilliant student was fully immersed in Free Fire and they are taking the help of expert players to understand what could have forced him to kill himself
A grab from Free Fire, which was banned in India on February 14
The probe into the suicide of a Std VII student from Dadar has led police to believe the death has something to do with the now-banned mobile game Free Fire. While Tirthesh Chetan Khanolkar hanged himself at home on February 13, the Bhoiwada police say he had covered one of his eyes, perhaps to look like a game character, before taking the extreme step.
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The police are talking to expert players to understand better what could have pushed the boy over the edge. They have also recorded the statements of two students who regularly played Free Fire with Tirthesh as part of a squad.
Tirthesh Khanolkar (right) hanged himself on February 13
Gamers who regularly played Free Fire told mid-day that it can be dangerous if one is obsessed with it. If a player’s friends do not help him during the game, he might consider them enemies in real life too.
‘Tirthesh was a brilliant student’
A cyber police officer, who is a part of the investigation, told mid-day that Tirthesh was a brilliant student and had good knowledge about the latest online games. “We have recorded the statements of two of his friends who regularly played Free Fire with him. We found that Khanolkar was on Level 24. The last level of the game is Grandmaster and it’s the PRO level. We also spoke to many gamers to understand this game and found that there is nothing related to suicide in the last stage. This is a simple game but many get addicted to it.”
A cybercop said there is nothing about suicide in the game. Representation pic
The nature of the boy could have played a role in his death, suspect the police. The officer said, “Khanolkar was a sensitive and brilliant student, but the reason behind the suicide is the Free Fire game. We found out about a character who has a piece of cloth on his eye, the face covered with a mask and is in a soldier-like attire. Khanolkar was also found in a similar costume.”
Students’ statements of not much help
Sources said the statements of the two students haven’t been of much help in cracking the case. “We will record the statements of four more students in the next two days. We will also take the help of his school. We have been told that Khanolkar and his friends played the game in three sessions and did their online classes in-between.” A source from the school said Tirthesh was excellent in his studies. “We would get 20 out of 20 in all subjects. He was also on the list of the school’s top cricket players and had taken part in many inter-school matches. It’s impossible to believe he is no more. Due to the lockdown, many students have got addicted to mobile games. Now, we are focusing more on offline classes.”
13 February
Day Tirthesh hanged himself at his Dadar home
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