Momo challenge: Jalpaiguri teen gets offer to play 'suicide game'

Amitava Banerjee, MP, 22 Aug 2018, Darjeeling: On the heels of suicide in Kurseong and a girl getting an offer to play the suicide game through a social networking app, North Bengal including Darjeeling is in the grip of "Momo" fear. 

Momo is a social media account on WhatsApp, Facebook, and YouTube, which is using the image of a horror artwork called Mother Bird by Link Factory to induce curiosity among children, challenging them to communicate with an unknown number failing which threat messages and horror pictures are sent. There are allegedly three numbers originating in Japan, Columbia and Mexico. 

A college girl in Jalpaiguri lodged a complaint at Kotwali police station on Tuesday alleging that she had received an invite to play the "Momo" game. "I had an heated argument with my mother following which I had put up a status wanting to die. After a few minutes, I started receiving messages from an unknown number asking me to play the game," stated Kabita Rai. 

The message stated: "Hi, I am Momo." When Kabita replied: "Who?" The answer was: "It's my name, shall we play a game?" The messages were generated from the number +1(251)9995451. Kabita immediately called her brother, blocked the number and lodged a police complaint. Police have started an investigation. 

The incident comes on the heels of an alleged suicide of an 18-year-old student Manish Sarki in Kurseong. Sarki was a Class 12 commerce student. 

On August 20, when Manish did not return home until 9 pm, his anxious parents and neighbours launched a search operation for him. Later, he was found hanging inside a pig sty in the neighborhood. 

On the walls of the pig sty, there were symbols and words spray painted such as — 'Illuminati' 'Doped', 'Hanged Man' and the name of a girl. 

Police have launched an investigation and taken his cell phone. 

A rumor doing the rounds is that it could be connected to the "Momo" game. "I would like to appeal to schools and social and welfare organizations to sensitise the masses, specially youths to stay away from such games," stated Anit Thapa, vice-chairman, Gorkhaland Territorial Administration in a press release. 

In another incident, a 26-year-old lady Aditi Goyal allegedly committed suicide in Kurseong on Tuesday. 

The maid working at her house found her hanging from the ceiling of her room and raised an alarm. She was rushed to the Hospital where she was declared brought dead. However, there has been no statement from the police or family members linking the game with the death.