The Ghaziabad police have shared disturbing preliminary findings in the case of three minor sisters who allegedly died by suicide after jumping from the ninth floor of their residential complex, indicating that emotional distress and withdrawal from digital engagement played a significant role in the incident.
According to investigators, the girls aged 16, 14 and 11, had fallen into depression after their father took away their mobile phones, cutting them off from online gaming platforms and their virtual friends, many of whom were reportedly based in South Korea. Police said the girls had developed a deep attachment to Korean culture, including K-dramas and task-based online games, over the past two to three years.
Officials said tensions in the household escalated in the days leading up to the incident after the father sold the mobile phone used by the sisters to watch Korean content. The decision was reportedly taken due to concerns over the girls’ growing obsession as well as the family’s financial stress.
“After the phone was taken away, the girls were unable to play online games or communicate with their Korean friends,” police officials said, adding that the sudden digital isolation appeared to have deeply affected their mental state.
Earlier inputs had suggested that the father was under financial pressure, reportedly burdened by heavy debt, which may have prompted him to sell the phones. Police also said he had forced the girls to delete a social media account that had around 2,000 followers just days before the tragedy.
The incident occurred around 2 am, when the three sisters allegedly jumped from the ninth floor of their apartment. A handwritten suicide note was recovered from the scene, in which the girls reportedly apologised to their parents and referred to their emotional pain. The note, according to police, indicated their fixation on Korean culture and distress over being separated from their online world.
In addition, investigators recovered a nine-page pocket diary that provided further insight into the sisters’ mental state. Preliminary examination of the diary points to intense emotional attachment to Korean culture, feelings of confinement, and signs of family discord.
Police said the girls addressed their father in the suicide note, suggesting a close emotional bond with him, while their mother was not mentioned anywhere in the writings.
The cybercrime unit has been tasked with tracing the buyers of the mobile phones using their IMEI numbers in an attempt to retrieve data from the Korean app and online platforms accessed by the girls. Officials said this could provide crucial evidence about the nature of the online interactions and games the sisters were involved in.
On the night of the incident, the girls reportedly tried using their mother’s phone to access the Korean app but were unsuccessful. The phone was seized by the forensic team, which found no evidence of the app being accessible on that device.
Fingerprints, the suicide note, diary entries, and digital data have been sent to the forensic science laboratory for detailed analysis. Police said the investigation is being conducted from multiple angles, including digital behaviour, family dynamics and financial stress.
During interrogation, police also revealed that the father has three wives, all of whom are biological sisters. One wife is the mother of the eldest girl, while another is the mother of the two younger sisters. Officials said this complex family structure is also being examined as part of the broader investigation into the children’s emotional environment.
Deputy Commissioner of Police Nimish Patil said investigators are carefully verifying all claims made by the family, particularly those related to online gaming addiction and the circumstances leading up to the incident.
Police have maintained that the case is being treated as suicide, with no signs of external involvement found so far. However, the tragedy has once again reignited concerns about unchecked online gaming addiction, excessive screen time, and the psychological impact of sudden digital withdrawal on children.
The incident has also sparked a wider conversation on parental awareness, digital supervision, and mental health support for minors growing up in an increasingly online-driven world.
