Gujarat govt announces cash award for information on Blue Whale curators

Gujarat government on Thursday announced a reward of Rs 100,000 for giving information about the curator of the Blue Whale game in the state.

After banning the challenge, which incites people to commit suicide, the state home department on Thursday came out with an advisory and directed police department and district administrations to prohibit people from undertaking the challenge.

Minister of State for Home, Pradipsinh Jadeja, said that the cyber cell of the state police has launched a helpline number -- 079-22871917 -- for anyone seeking information on the online game which has resulted in several young people allegedly killing themselves worldwide.

Jadeja said the state government has directed commissioners and district magistrates to prohibit undertaking of the "game" under relevant provisions of the CrPC and the Gujarat Police Act.

"The state government has banned Blue Whale Challenge. Educational institutes are taking steps to create awareness about its adverse impact, and the police's cyber crime cell has launched a helpline number for parents seeking to know what they should do when they find out their children playing the game," he was quoted as saying in a release.

"If anybody provides information on its curator/administrator, he will be given Rs 1 lakh reward and his name will be kept secret," he said.

The Blue Whale challenge is undertaken using social media apps, online gaming groups, online community messaging groups, and so on, where a certain administrator or curator targets the vulnerable young player through private chat platform.

The curator then gives the player a daily task which culminates on Day 50 with a direction to the player to commit suicide. The player is also asked to share photos after finishing each challenge. The Internet Protocol (IP) address of the link to the challenge keeps changing.

PTI