Class 5 girl murdered for beating 11-year-old boy at online game

Class 5 girl murdered for beating 11-year-old boy at online game

Both Hooked On Survival Shooting Game Since Start Of Lockdown

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Indore: 08.09.2020

A 9-year-old girl was bludgeoned death in Indore, allegedly by an 11-year-old boy, who was furious that she had continuously beaten him in an online game on Monday.

The suspect has been taken into custody and is being questioned. Police sources say he has admitted to hitting her on the head with stones. After killing her, he shut himself in his bathroom for hours.

They are neighbours in Lasudia, a northern suburb of Indore, and had been playing an online game — where contestants have to kill each other to survive on an island — since the beginning of lockdown, police said. “The boy became furious after constantly losing to the girl at the online game on Monday. He took her to a nearby field, where he hit her in anger in the head and face with three stones,” said DIG Harinarayanchari Mishra. “After she collapsed, the boy ran back to his house and locked himself in the washroom for hours,” added Mishra.

The victim studied in Class V. It was towards the afternoon that the family realized she was missing and began looking for her. Some witnesses said they had seen her at 10.30am walking towards a field with a boy. The family rushed there and found her body, Mishra said.

Police examine the site in Lasudia where the girl's body was found on Monday

‘Parents need to keep vigil on kids’ e-activities’

Police examined the crime scene and had barely begun their investigation when the boy’s family approached them to say he was missing too. Police didn’t see him as a suspect until one of his family members told them that they had located him — he had locked himself in the washroom and wasn’t coming out. A police team rushed there and gently counselled him into unlocking the door. After he stepped out, police spoke to him and he narrated the murder, leaving officers shocked.

“The girl had also killed a pet rat of the boy and teased him when he lost to her. This triggered the incident,” Mishra said, cautioning parents to be aware of their children’s online activities. “Parents should realise that these days, because of online classes, there are more chances of children being involved in such online games, making them aggressive,” he said. TNN