Noida murders: Police say boy addicted to violent game
NOIDA: A day after a 42-year-old woman and 11-year-old daughter were murdered at a high-rise in Greater Noida, allegedly by her 16-year-old son, investigators said the boy was a compulsive gamer who might have been influenced by High School Gangster Escape, which he used to play on his mobile.
The police said that his father, a businessman, told them that his son spent most of his time playing the game. He told them that the boy had been seen playing the game on his mother’s phone over the last two months after he had seized the boy’s phone in September.
The statement was made by the businessman on Thursday during police questioning. Ajay Kumar Sharma, investigating officer of Noida police, said,“the boy’s father told us that he used to play the game — High School Gangster Escape — most of the time on his phone. He also told us that the boy was not at all interested in studies.”
The investigator also said that the father had enquired his son about the game, who told him that it was a crime-thriller game and he liked it.
“The father is indicating that the game might have influenced him. We have read about the game’s features, which suggest it is about committing crimes and escaping. There are chances that he may commit more such crimes, under the influence of the game,” Sharma said.
The police said the boy is carrying his mother’s cellphone, which is switched off and the location has not been traced so far. The boy had taken along ₹2 lakh from his home, which was kept in a locker, they said.
The post-mortem report on Thursday afternoon confirmed that the woman and her daughter were not poisoned. The report said the death was caused due to injury to the head, the police said.
The bodies of the woman and her daughter were found on a bed inside the apartment around 12am on Wednesday. The faces were disfigured and the duo was hit on the head with a cricket bat, the police said.
While police said the 16-yearold boy, the woman’s son, is the prime suspect in the case, the relative said the boy could not have killed his family.
They said the crime has been committed by professionals and alleged that the 16-year-old boy has also been kidnapped.
Meanwhile, the pictures and details of the boy have also been posted on various platforms to seek public help in tracing him.
The police said that anyone who helps locate the boy will be rewarded.
The police did not announce the reward but sources said it will be between ₹20,000 and ₹25,000.