Mobile reset mystery instudent’s death deepens | Lucknow News
Lucknow: The ‘reset’ of a class six student’s mobile phone has become the central puzzle in a case where the child allegedly ended his life after losing nearly Rs13 lakh in an online game. Police say the device, which no longer carries any call logs, messages, social media accounts, or gaming history, could hold the key to unfolding the circumstances which led to the tragedy. According to investigators, the boy’s father deposited money in his bank account after selling land for medical treatment. When he went to withdraw funds last week, he was shocked to find that the balance was zero. “On confronting his son, the boy admitted to losing the money in an online game. Family members, including his tuition teacher, counselled him against such behaviour. Later that evening, he was found hanging in his room. He was rushed to a community health centre, where doctors declared him dead,” said Rajneesh Verma, ACP, Mohanlalganj.While the suicide has shaken the family, the disappearance of data from his mobile phone has left investigators puzzled. “We are trying to establish how the mobile got reset,” said Dilesh Kumar Singh, SHO, Mohanlalganj. tnnInvestigators are not ruling out the possibility of involvement of organised gaming gangs. Police said certain online platforms use covert payment gateways and may have the ability to erase user data. to prevent detection. if there is no activity from the player. “This angle is also under examination,” said A senior officer said that the mobile’s forensic recovery will be critical in establishing whether any such external intervention took place. The phone has been sent to the forensic science laboratory and the cyber cell is probing tracing the money trail to see if the siphoned funds were diverted into individual accounts or converted into digital currency. “This is not just a case of one boy’s death. It could expose a larger racket exploiting minors through online gaming platforms,” the officer added. Meanwhile, the school where the student studied declared a holiday to mourn his death. Teachers described him as active in extracurricular activities and said he appeared ‘normal’ even on the day of the incident.
