Blue Whale: Fears in India over 'viral suicide game' mount as 'government calls for internet giants to ban links to it'

A rumoured internet game called the Blue Whale has sparked panic in India after it was linked to the suicides of several teenagers.

Although it has been mentioned in investigations into deaths in a number of countries, police have yet to confirm any link to the game or whether it exists.

India's government has nonetheless reportedly responded by demanding social media sites remove links to the game and a petition for it to be banned is being made to the Supreme Court.

Schools have also been running awareness classes on the Blue Whale game, on which deaths have been blamed by family members of victims in Russia and the US.

Experts have disputed the existence of the game, which is said to lead youngsters through a series of macabre tasks, culminating in them killing themselves.

But it is being blamed by police for a number of attempted suicides, including one in West Bengal state.

A police spokesman told the Hindustan Times: “A class eight student from a private school in Basirhat area fell ill after confessing about her involvement in playing the Blue Whale game to the school authorities. She has been admitted to hospital.

“The hostel superintendent got in touch with us after the girl confessed to cutting her hand as instructed in the Blue Whale Challenge game. Which stage of the game she was into, is not yet clear.”

The federal government has also requested social media giants Facebook, Instagram, Whatsapp and Google remove alleged links to the Blue Whale game.

High courts and regional governments nationwide have also reportedly called for the game to be banned.

But practical solutions have not been forthcoming.

Sunil Abraham, Executive Director of the Centre for Internet and Society, dismissed the Indian government’s approach.

“Schools doing Blue Whale sessions are advertising for Blue Whale,” Mr Abraham told the broadcaster.

"We are going through a moral panic. And the response seems to be moral education. It discounts the root cause of why people are suicidal."