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Ghaziabad: In a tragic incident, three sisters aged 12, 14 and 16 died after jumping from the ninth floor of their apartment in Uttar Pradesh’s Ghaziabad in the early hours of Wednesday. The girls allegedly took the extreme step after becoming deeply obsessed with an online Korean task-based game.

The incident occurred around 2.15 am at a high-rise apartment complex in Bharat City. Before jumping, the sisters — Pakhi (12), Prachi (14) and Vishika (16) — left behind a handwritten note that read, “Sorry, Papa.”

According to police, the girls went to the balcony, bolted the door from inside and jumped one after another. Their screams and the sound alerted their parents, neighbours and security guards. By the time the parents broke open the balcony door, all three had died.

“When we reached the spot, we confirmed that three minor girls, daughters of Chetan Kumar, had died after jumping from the building,” said Assistant Commissioner of Police Atul Kumar Singh.

Visuals from the scene on Wednesday morning showed the bodies lying on the ground, their mother wailing in grief, and stunned neighbours gathering at the complex.

Police said the sisters were heavily influenced by Korean culture and were addicted to an online “Korean love game”, though no specific game has been identified so far. Investigators are examining an eight-page suicide note written in a pocket diary, detailing the girls’ mobile and gaming activities.

“Read everything written in this diary because all of it is true. I’m really sorry. Sorry, Papa,” the note said, accompanied by a hand-drawn crying emoji.

Their father, Chetan Kumar, told police that the girls had even adopted Korean names and had gradually withdrawn from school and daily activities. “They used to say, ‘Korea is our life, Korea is our biggest love. We cannot give it up,’” he said, breaking down.

Police said the parents had recently restricted the girls’ mobile phone usage, which may have triggered distress. “The investigation has not revealed the name of any particular game, but it is evident that the girls were deeply influenced by Korean culture, as mentioned in the suicide note,” said senior police officer Nimish Patel.

The sisters reportedly did everything together, including eating and bathing. Their gaming addiction is believed to have begun during the COVID-19 pandemic, after which they became irregular at school and eventually stopped attending altogether.

Police also revealed that Chetan Kumar is married to two sisters and lives with both wives and their children, all daughters. Two of the deceased girls were daughters of one wife, while the third was their half-sister.

Further investigation is underway.

The Supreme Court on Monday expressed grave concern over digital frauds, noting that more than ₹54,000 crore has been siphoned off through cyber crimes, and described the scale of the fraud as “absolutely robbery or dacoity”.

A bench of the apex court sought swift and coordinated action from the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), banks and other agencies to curb the rising menace of digital fraud. Observing that such large-scale losses could not occur without serious lapses, the court said the frauds “may be due to collusion or negligence of bank officials”.

The bench directed inter-departmental agencies to prepare a draft memorandum of understanding (MoU) within four weeks to strengthen coordination and effectively tackle digital frauds.

Taking note of an existing standard operating procedure (SOP) framed by the RBI, which prescribes immediate steps such as temporarily blocking debit cards to prevent cyber-enabled fraud, the court directed the Centre to formally adopt and implement the RBI’s SOP across the country.

“We direct the Centre to ensure pan-India implementation of the RBI SOP for inter-agency coordination in dealing with digital frauds. We also direct the CBI to identify cases of so-called ‘digital arrest’,” the bench said.

The Supreme Court further asked the Gujarat and Delhi governments to grant sanction for investigation in identified cases. It also directed the RBI, the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) and other concerned authorities to jointly hold a meeting to evolve a framework for compensation to victims of digital arrest frauds.

Emphasising victim relief, the court said a “pragmatic and liberal approach” is required while considering compensation for those affected by digital arrest scams.

If you want it sharper, more dramatic, or more neutral (wire-style), tell me which tone you’re aiming for.

The Supreme Court on Monday expressed grave concern over digital frauds, noting that more than ₹54,000 crore has been siphoned off through cyber crimes, and described the scale of the fraud as “absolutely robbery or dacoity”.

A bench of the apex court sought swift and coordinated action from the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), banks and other agencies to curb the rising menace of digital fraud. Observing that such large-scale losses could not occur without serious lapses, the court said the frauds “may be due to collusion or negligence of bank officials”.

The bench directed inter-departmental agencies to prepare a draft memorandum of understanding (MoU) within four weeks to strengthen coordination and effectively tackle digital frauds.

Taking note of an existing standard operating procedure (SOP) framed by the RBI, which prescribes immediate steps such as temporarily blocking debit cards to prevent cyber-enabled fraud, the court directed the Centre to formally adopt and implement the RBI’s SOP across the country.

“We direct the Centre to ensure pan-India implementation of the RBI SOP for inter-agency coordination in dealing with digital frauds. We also direct the CBI to identify cases of so-called ‘digital arrest’,” the bench said.

The Supreme Court further asked the Gujarat and Delhi governments to grant sanction for investigation in identified cases. It also directed the RBI, the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) and other concerned authorities to jointly hold a meeting to evolve a framework for compensation to victims of digital arrest frauds.

Emphasising victim relief, the court said a “pragmatic and liberal approach” is required while considering compensation for those affected by digital arrest scams.

If you want it sharper, more dramatic, or more neutral (wire-style), tell me which tone you’re aiming for.