Sister snatches phone after fight over watching reels, UP boy, 8, dies by suicide

An eight-year-old boy died by suicide after an argument with his elder sister over a mobile phone in Uttar Pradesh's Jalaun district. The incident took place when their parents were away from home.

The incident was reported from Dungarpurwa village on November 3. The 8-year-old boy, was watching reels on a mobile phone with his sister, who is around one-and-a-half years older than him.

According to the family, an argument broke out between the siblings after the sister took the phone away from her brother. Upset over this, the eight-year-old went into a room and hanged himself using a cotton towel tied to a hook.

Their parents were not at home when the incident occurred. The family members were left shocked after discovering the boy hanging in the room. His death triggered grief in the family, while the village was plunged into mourning.

After receiving information about the incident, Kuthaund police reached the spot along with a forensic team. Jalaun Circle Officer Ajay Kumar Singh also visited the village and inspected the scene.

Police completed the inquest proceedings and sent the body for postmortem. The report is awaited.

Speaking about the incident, CO Ajay Kumar Singh said the preliminary information gathered by the police indicated that the boy had argued with his sister over the use of the mobile phone. The family also cited the dispute as the apparent reason behind the incident.

Commenting on the incident, the Circle Officer raised concerns about the growing use of mobile phones among young children and the need for parents to monitor their screen time.

He said the incident raised questions about how children were developing their attitudes towards mobile phone use and the circumstances that could lead to such extreme reactions.

The officer urged parents to remain vigilant about how much time children spend on mobile phones and how they use the devices. - Ends(With inputs from Mohd. Aleem Siddique)