Momo claims 2nd life in state

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Mahanga: Another youngster from the state allegedly committed suicide under the influence of Momo challenge game at Umar village near Mahanga in Cuttack district Wednesday. The deceased was identified as 24-year-old Umakanta Behera, the elder son of Alekha Behera.
According to reports, Umakant, who worked as a labourer in Chennai, had returned home a few months ago. Over last few days he was busy with his mobile phone and stopped interacting with family members. He committed suicide Tuesday night by hanging himself in an under-construction building near his house.
It is suspected that the youth might have ended his life under the influence of the deadly game. The Momo challenge app was found installed in his phone. Umakant’s father Wednesday filed a complaint with Mahanga police. Earlier, an engineering student of Rourkela had committed suicide in Chennai and became the first victim of the game from the state.
While the student died August 22, the police said his suicide was due to the influence of the game. The 20-year-old, S Chetan Kumar, was an engineering student of a private college in Bhubaneswar.
The Momo challenge has already surpassed the number of deaths caused by the Blue Whale Challenge game. While playing the game, the players receive instructions from an unknown person. The first victim of the game was a 12-year-old girl from Argentina. Meanwhile, police said they are investigating whether the death has anything to do with the Momo challenge online game. “We have seized the phone of Umakanta Behera of Umar village, whose body was found hanging from the ceiling of a half constructed building near his house Wednesday morning,” said Mahanga IIC Jugal Kishore Das.
Behera was working as a security guard. Based on the written complaint filed by Behera’s father, a case has been registered, he said.
“Preliminary investigations revealed that Umakanta was addicted to his smartphone and even before going to sleep Tuesday night, the family members had seen him hooked to his phone,” police said.