Kerala Teen Dies By Suicide Over Fake NCRB Message Scare

Kozhikode: A tragic incident unfolded in northern Kerala when a 16-year-old boy took his own life, allegedly driven by a fake message purportedly from the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB). The message demanded payment for supposedly accessing an unauthorized movie website. The young victim, Adinath, an 11th-grade student in a city school, was discovered hanging in his Chevayur apartment last Wednesday.

A suicide note recovered from his room provided insights into the online fraud that is believed to have led to this unfortunate loss of life, according to a police official. In the note, addressed to his mother, Adinath claimed that he had not visited any unauthorized websites but had watched a movie on a legitimate platform using her laptop.

However, the laptop contained a bogus message in the guise of the NCRB, asserting that Adinath owed over ₹30,000 due to his alleged access to an unauthorized website. Failure to comply would result in substantial fines and potential imprisonment, as indicated in the message. This menacing message appears to have deeply frightened the young boy, the officer explained.

Upon scrutiny of the laptop’s browsing history, the police found no evidence of the deceased student visiting any illicit websites. The officer acknowledged that it’s possible the history had been deleted, emphasizing the need for a comprehensive forensic investigation to uncover the truth.

The police have initiated an investigation and plan to gather additional information from the boy’s parents, who have relocated to a different residence following the tragic loss of their son. Our thoughts are with Adinath’s family during this difficult time.