The suicide of three girls aged 12, 14 and 16 in Ghaziabad has sent shock waves across the country. It is believed, prima facie, that the girls jumped off their apartment balcony while following the command of a Korean game.

The three sisters, Nishika, Prachi and Pakhi, all minors, were reportedly addicted to a Korean task-based online gaming application. The family claimed that repeated requests from parents to stop playing the game yielded no results.

Early on Wednesday, the sisters sneaked out of their bedroom, moved to a room’s window, used a chair and took turns to jump to death. The incident took place at around 2.15am at Bharat City Society under the Tila Mod police station limits in the Loni area.

The girls left behind a note of apology addressed to their father. They said that it was a real-life story and asked their parents to read through.

Police said the sisters had reportedly not attended school since the Covid-19 pandemic. Despite being 16 years old, the eldest was enrolled only in grade 4, indicating prolonged educational disruption and social isolation.

The bodies have been sent for post-mortem examination, and investigators are analyzing a handwritten note, a diary mentioned in it, and digital evidence linked to the gaming app. Officials said the investigation is examining all angles, including online activity, family circumstances, and mental health factors.

Accounts of onlookers from the same apartment complex have also suspicions on what unfolded before the incident.

A neighbour has claimed he witnessed three girls jumping from the ninth floor of their residential building in Ghaziabad, initially mistaking them for a couple and their child taking the extreme step.

“At two in the night, if someone is sitting on a railing, what will you think? You will feel something abnormal. I suspected something was wrong. I could see a couple trying to jump from behind. And someone was pulling them towards themselves, trying to save them. Initially, it looked like a husband and wife in distress to me,” said an onlooker.

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