Pune: A 14-year-old boy from Solapur, who left home to complete a task given to him in the online game 'Blue Whale Challenge', was rescued by the police on his way to Pune. Recently, a teenager addicted to the Blue Whale Challenge game had ended his life by jumping off a building in Mumbai. The district police yesterday intercepted a Pune-bound state transport bus in which the teenager was travelling, near Bhigwan on an information given by their Solapur counterparts.

Pune: A 14-year-old boy from Solapur, who left home to complete a task given to him in the online game 'Blue Whale Challenge', was rescued by the police on his way to Pune. Recently, a teenager addicted to the Blue Whale Challenge game had ended his life by jumping off a building in Mumbai. The district police yesterday intercepted a Pune-bound state transport bus in which the teenager was travelling, near Bhigwan on an information given by their Solapur counterparts.

"As soon as we were informed by our counterparts in Solapur, we intercepted the bus and rescued the boy, who was on his way to complete a task given by the Blue Whale Challenge game," a Bhigwan police station officer said. He said the boy appeared "lost" and was silent when the police took him with them. "The boy's businessman father came to the police station and took him home," the officer said.      

According to him, the Class 9 student was addicted to the game, where a player is given different tasks by his handlers. "After the boy went missing, his parents started inquiring with his friends when they came to know that he was playing the 'Blue Whale Challenge'," the official said. Yesterday, a 13-year-old boy hooked to the game tried to jump off the third floor of his school in Indore but fellow students thwarted his attempt, police said.

The Blue Whale Game also "Blue Whale Challenge" is an Internet "game" allegedly comprising a series of tasks assigned to players by administrators during a 50-day period, with the final challenge requiring the player to commit suicide The online game originated in Russia. PTI