BREAKING: Three Minor Sisters Die After Parents Object to Korean Online Game Addiction

Three minor sisters died in a tragic incident in Ghaziabad in the early hours of Wednesday, February 4, 2026, after they allegedly jumped from the balcony of their ninth-floor apartment, police officials said. The incident is believed to have followed a restriction imposed by their parents on mobile phone usage.

The deceased have been identified as Nishika (16), Prachi (14) and Pakhi (12). Their bodies were found on the pavement near a community park within the gated housing complex shortly after 2 a.m. Neighbours were alerted after hearing the distressed cries of the parents.

According to Deputy Commissioner of Police Nimish Patil, police found a room adjacent to the balcony locked when they reached the apartment. A handwritten note recovered from the room contained an apology addressed to their father and referred to a diary, which investigators have taken into custody.

Preliminary inquiries revealed that the girls had discontinued formal schooling in 2020 and had developed heavy dependence on social media, television cartoons and Korean television content. In an attempt to curb this habit, their parents had restricted access to mobile phones in recent days. The children reportedly used one of their parents’ phones to access online content.

Police said the parents had taken away the phone a few days prior to the incident and allegedly warned the girls of strict consequences, including marriage, in an effort to discipline them. Investigators believe the incident occurred after the parents went to sleep on Tuesday night.

Officials stated that the note mentioned the girls felt isolated and distressed due to being prevented from watching cartoons and television programmes. While speculation has surfaced online about the involvement of foreign task-based games, police said no such link has been found so far. “At present, there is no evidence of any online challenge or game. The children appear to have been addicted to television serials and social media, but all angles are being examined,” the DCP said.

The girls’ father, Chetan Kumar, is a businessman originally from Burari in Delhi. The family had been living in the Sahibabad area for the past three years. He resides with his two wives, Sujata and Heena, who are sisters, and their five children. The three girls were previously enrolled at Green Valley School, where their academic performance was reportedly weak.

Residents of the society said the family kept largely to themselves. “We saw them occasionally but never interacted much,” said a neighbour. The apartment society’s secretary also told police that the family faced financial difficulties but remained regular with maintenance payments.

Police have seized Ms. Sujata’s mobile phone for forensic examination and are analysing the handwritten note. As of now, no FIR has been registered, as the family has not lodged a formal complaint.