'Cyber shaming' drives teen to suicide; police arrest three

KARACHI:

Cyberbullying is increasingly turning into a societal menace, and the phenomenon drove a teen to suicide in the city. Police have arrested three youths on the charge of torturing a teenage boy and making the video viral on social media. The victim's father said the shame of the incident drove his son to take his own life.

Abdul Rafi, a student of grade IX, committed suicide by putting a noose around his neck after being subjected to cyber shame.

The Sharifabad police initially said that the cause of suicide was financial and economic problems and nonpayment of examination fees by the 15-year-old Rafi's father.

However, Noman Ali, the father of the deceased, reported to the police in this complaint that he discovered that his son's suicide was actually triggered by a video on the social media involving his son.

Noman Ali told the police that he lives in Ruknuddin Square situated in Sharifabad No1, and works at the Federal Urdu University. On October 22, at around 3:30pm, when he came home, he found the wooden door of his flat was locked from inside.

Despite knocking at the door, and calling his son several times, there was no response. Alarmed, Noman informed the landlord who rushed to the scene and helped break the door. To Noman's shock, his son's body was hanging on the door's frame.

Distraught, Noman with the help of neighbours took down Rafi and rushed to hospital with a faint hope that the boy may have survived, but the doctors at the Abbasi Shaheed Hospital declared him dead on arrival (DOA).

The grieving father told the police that he remained puzzled over why did his son took his life, and questioned whether it was a paucity of money and lack of hope for a better future.

On the third day of his son's burial, Noman said he saw a video on the social media in which three young boys were seen torturing his son and making the video. Due to the torment and disrespect, his son committed suicide by putting a noose around his neck, Noman said.

Subsequently, he filed a complaint after which police registered a case against the three.

The complainant told The Express Tribune that Sharifabad Police Station Investigation Officer Naeem is fully cooperating with him and law enforcers have arrested the three accused, while obtaining a two-day remand from the court. Police were interrogating the trio regarding the incident.

In response to a question, Noman said that he had deposited the examination fee of his son, who was a student of class nine, while the reason for his son's suicide was the video of his torture, which went viral on the social media. He urged the higher authorities to provide him jusitice.