Bengaluru boy ends life by hanging, police suspect mobile phone addiction

Although Dhruva hanged himself in front of his 9-year-old sister, she did not raise an alarm, possibly because she did not fully understand what was happening, say police

Bengaluru: In a shocking case, a 13-year-old boy died by suicide by hanging himself at home in front of his younger sister, said officials on Wednesday. The incident occurred in the Byadarahalli police station limits in Bengaluru on Tuesday night.

According to the police, they suspect that the boy took the extreme step due to mobile addiction. The deceased has been identified as Dhruva, a resident of Ratnanagar near Gollarahatti on the outskirts of Bengaluru.

---

Police stated that the incident took place while the boy’s parents were at work, leaving Dhruva and his sister alone at home. Dhruva removed his ‘udadaara’ (a sacred thread tied around the waist of boys in certain South Indian cultures, believed to provide protection from evil spirits) and attempted to hang himself.

He tied the thread to a ceiling fan, but as he tried to hang himself, the thread snapped, causing him to fall. Around the same time at 7 pm, his mother arrived home and immediately rushed him to the hospital. However, doctors declared him brought dead.

Preliminary investigations have revealed that although Dhruva hanged himself in front of his 9-year-old sister, she did not raise an alarm, possibly because she did not fully understand what was happening.

Police also stated that Dhruva often ignored his parents’ warnings and spent excessive time on his mobile phone. His father works at a bakery, while his mother is employed at a garment factory.

The police are investigating the exact reason behind his suicide, suspecting that he may have gotten the idea from his mobile phone due to his addiction.

Further investigations are underway.

On November 24, 2024, a 14-year-old boy studying in Class 9 died after his father beat him with a cricket bat over his mobile phone addiction and wayward ways in Bengaluru. His father, a carpenter was arrested in the case.

A teenager allegedly died by suicide on September 6, 2024, in Karnatak’s Hubballi city after his parents told him to avoid using a mobile phone. The 13-year-old boy had hanged himself at his residence.