Now Reading: Two die in Punjab after online gaming losses, poison suspected
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Two die in Punjab after online gaming losses, poison suspected
A 13-year-old boy and his 21-year-old friend have died in Punjab's Nawanshahr district after allegedly consuming poison, with police investigating a possible link to online gaming losses and family pressure. The incident…
The Story in Brief
A 13-year-old boy and his 21-year-old friend have died in Punjab's Nawanshahr district after allegedly consuming poison, with police investigating a possible link to online gaming losses and family pressure. The incident occurred on August 10, when three friends were together and consumed a poisonous substance. Paramjit Singh Khalsa, 13, died that same day. Dilpreet Singh, 21, died during treatment on August 11. A third boy, 15-year-old Maninder Singh, is being treated and his condition is reportedly improving.
According to village Sarpanch Hardeep Singh, preliminary information suggests one boy lost a significant amount of money playing online games, causing stress and family pressure. Senior police officer Satnam Singh confirmed all three were involved in gaming. Police have registered a case on their own as families did not submit a complaint. The exact circumstances leading to the poison intake have not been established, and family members have declined to comment.
The Indian Opinion
This tragedy will inevitably be used to demand blanket bans on online gaming, but the facts are still preliminary. Police have not confirmed that gaming losses directly caused the poison intake. The real issue is whether a 13-year-old had unfettered access to real-money gaming platforms and why no adult intervened. Watch for the police investigation's final report. It must establish if the platforms have age verification or if the losses were from an illegal app.
Sources (2): english.mathrubhumi.com, indiatoday.in
This story was synthesised by AI from the 2 sources linked above.
Updated: this story now draws on 2 sources.
