In a heartbreaking incident in Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh, three minor sisters Nishika (16), Prachi (14), and Pakhi (12) died by suicide after jumping from the ninth floor of their apartment building in Bharat City Society. Police investigations and statements from the family suggest that the girls had developed an intense emotional dependence on an online task-based mobile game linked to Korean entertainment culture.
Handwritten notes recovered from the scene reportedly revealed that the sisters felt unable to live without the virtual world they had become immersed in. Authorities have confirmed that the parents had recently restricted their access to mobile phones, a move that may have caused distress.
The police are now analysing the girls’ phones, social media accounts, and diary entries to understand the exact sequence of events and the psychological factors involved. The tragedy has sparked renewed debate about adolescent mental health, digital addiction, and the responsibility of parents and tech platforms in safeguarding vulnerable children.
A Tragic Chain Of Events
According to police officials, the incident occurred in the early hours when residents heard a loud noise and informed local authorities. Investigators found that the three sisters had reportedly climbed onto a chair and jumped one after the other from the balcony of their ninth-floor flat. Several handwritten papers and a diary were recovered from their room.
Assistant Police Commissioner Atul Kumar Singh stated that the notes contained emotional messages of apology to their parents and reflected a deep obsession with a Korean gaming application. “The girls wrote that they were sorry and drew crying caricatures. They imagined themselves to be Koreans and portrayed themselves as Korean princesses,” he said.
Reports indicate that the app involved completing a series of around 50 tasks, and the sisters had become so influenced by it that they addressed each other using Korean names. Their father, Chetan Kumar, told the media that one note read: “Sorry, Papa… we cannot leave Korea. Korea is our life, and you can’t make us leave it.” Such statements, police say, point towards a blurred sense of reality created by prolonged digital immersion.
Pandemic Isolation And Growing Dependence
Preliminary investigations have revealed that the girls had not attended school regularly since the COVID-19 pandemic, a period during which their online activity reportedly increased sharply. Family members told police that the sisters gradually withdrew from outdoor activities and real-world friendships, spending most of their time on mobile phones.
Deputy Commissioner of Police Nimish Patil confirmed that the parents had recently tried to curb this behaviour by limiting phone usage. “The family had somewhat restricted the girls from using the phone for the past few days. The girls were troubled by this, and because of that, they took this decision,” he said. Neighbours have described the children as quiet and reserved, adding that no one suspected the extent of their inner distress.
Investigators are now examining whether the game or online communities associated with it encouraged harmful challenges or created psychological pressure. Mobile devices, social media profiles, and internet history have been seized to determine whether any external influence played a role. Counsellors and cyber-experts are also being consulted as part of the probe.
The Logical Indian’s Perspective
The loss of three young lives is a painful reminder of how fragile adolescent minds can be in an increasingly digital world. While online games, social media, and global entertainment cultures can provide creativity and connection, they can also become dangerous when consumed without balance, supervision, and emotional grounding.
This tragedy is not just about one family or one mobile application it reflects a larger social challenge. Parents often struggle to recognise the early signs of digital addiction, and children rarely have the emotional maturity to process intense virtual influences on their own.
