Archives for August 2017

Chennai: A second year BCom student in Madurai hanged himself, in another apparent case of suicide under influence of the Blue Whale challenge, and the first such case from Tamil Nadu.

19-year-old Vignesh from Chennai hanged himself in his room, having reached the end of the challenge. Police found a whale cut into his arm and a suicide note in his room which said “Blue Whale- This is not a game but danger. Once you enter, you can never exit”.

Early investigation revealed that his friends found Vignesh was spending long hours on his phone, going through with the challenges as they were issued to him.

The Blue Whale ‘game’ has become a bane to the Central government, with the Ministry of Electronics and Telecommunications issuing a directive to web giants like Google and Facebook to scrub all references to the game from their search results, as the game is not an application and must be ‘played’ through specific forums and websites.

The game is run by a group of ‘moderators’ who come in contact with potential ‘players’ and issue them instructions to perform 50 tasks, either on the day of the task or in advance. The tasks can range from mundane works like watching a video to gruesome ones like inflicting self-harm by means of cutting words or drawings onto the players’ arms and legs. The final task is to commit suicide.

The game originated in Russia, and its creator, Philipp Budeikin, who was a psychology student, confessed to creating the game, claiming he wanted to “clean” society by removing those he deemed to have no value.

(Agencies)

New Delhi: With an aim of making Delhi open-defecation free, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal today inaugurated 1,206 community toilets in various locations of the city.

After inaugurating the toilets, Mr Kejriwal said,’In last two years, AAP Government constructed 12,000 toilets, more 7,000 will be built by December.

By March, 2018, no one in Delhi will need to go for toilet in open.

” He also urged Lt Governor Anil Baijal to clear slum policy, passed by Delhi Cabinet, pending with him for many days.
The community toilets were inaugurated at 36 locations from Jhuggi-Jhopri (JJ) slums here.

(UNI)

Bengaluru: Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah today described as a “political gimmick’ the BJP state President B S Yeddyurappa hosting Dalit families at his residence.

“It is just a political gimmick, it is a drama,” Siddaramaiah told reporters here in response to a question.

When said that Yeddyurappa has clarified that the event has nothing to do with politics, he said … then why he did not do it when he was the Chief Minister, while in power? Why did not he go to their (Dalits) houses and hear their difficulties and pain, then? Why did not he formulate programmes for their upliftment”, he asked.

“Did he give even a single Dalit leader good portfolio? See these are all political gimmicks. He is doing it for 2018 elections, but people will understand (the truth),” the Chief Minister said.

Yeddyurappa had yesterday hosted 33 Dalit families from across the state at his residence here, as a mark of gratitude to their hospitality during his state wide tour.
Considered as an attempt to woo Dalit votes, the families were served with lunch along with gifts besides arranging for sightseeing in the city.

As part of his “Janasamparka yatra” and drought study tour across the state in May, Yeddyurappa along with other leaders partook of breakfast at dalits houses across the state.

The former Chief Minister had quoted controversy during this state wide tour as it was alleged that he had breakfast brought from a nearby hotel instead of what was homemade, which drew flak from both the Congress and JD(S).

(Agencies)

Gorakhpur: Two weeks after the Gorakhpur tragedy that stunned the nation, another 42 children died in the last 48 hours at the Baba Raghav Das (BRD) Medical College.

“42 children died in 48 hours of which 7 due to encephalitis, rest due to other reasons,” said PK Singh, the principal of BRD Medical College

Over 290 children have died at the hospital from August 1 till August 28, including at least 77 from Acute Encephalitis Syndrome (AES).

Among 36 deaths reported on August 27 and 28, seven children died of Acute Encephalitis Syndrome (AES), 15 in Neo-Natal Ward NICU and 14 children died of different medical reasons, claimed a senior doctor at the hospital seeking anonymity, reported DNA.

According to hospital sources, nearly 1,250 children have died since January 2017, including 175 due to AES.

Following widespread outrage over the death of children, the Yogi Adityanath-led Uttar Pradesh government suspended BRD principal Dr Rajiv Mishra.

Mishra and his wife were arrested by the Special Task Force in Kanpur on Tuesday.

Dr Kafeel Khan, who shot to limelight for saving many kids, was also sacked from his position of as the head of the encephalitis ward.

Source told the DNA, while the state goes on a sacking spree, no arrangements have been made for the replacements.

It is interesting to note that Gorakhpur and surrounding areas have been badly affected by the encephalitis infection for more than a decade.

Despite many efforts, the locals have not been able to realise the extent of the situation. A doctor on condition of anonymity told the DNA, “How will we treat these infants when they reach hospital at the last stage.”

He also said that, “the toll, if compared from the previous year, is less. Media is unnecessary making a hue and cry.”

(Agencies)