Kozhikode: Three suicides of teenaged boys (all hanged themselves) within two months and in the radius of 10km in Kerala's Wayanad district have sent some serious signals to the state police, hinting at a terror angle to the deaths.
After the deaths of Anas (17), Subin (17) and Nasser (16) (names changed), the cops have found a common link to the trio. All of them were apparently known to each other and two of them were following #psychochekkan on Instagram, a picture posting social media platform more popular among the youngsters. Adding intrigue into the deaths, the two were mainly following picture posts with writings that glorified solitude and death.
Cops investigating the cases and intelligence agencies now suspect that this may be a ploy used by terrorist organisations like ISIS, the hardcore Islamic terror group, to lure youngsters to their fold.
Gauging the seriousness of the case, top police officials have also added an SP-rank intelligence officer in the investigation team now. Police say nearly 13 of the trio's friends, who followed similar pages and hashtags, are under observation and receiving counselling.
Another shock for the intelligence agencies is that the pages have links to users based in Kasaragod. And they have enough reasons to worry: As on March 30, 2018, 90 Keralites were thought to have joined ISIS. Of this, 16 have been killed in raids by US and other forces fighting ISIS in various countries in the Middle East since 2016. Of the 90, 21 were from Kasaragod and 38 from Kannur. At least 12 Keralites had joined ISIS from Bahrain.
Sleuths suspect that the teenagers' love for 'death smelling' pages could also be an indication that there are attempts to turn them into suicide bombers and, according to sources in the police, the terrorist organisations may be testing their “mental strength to carry out such operations”. However, no such links have been established till now.
Kalpetta DySP Prince Abraham, who is supervising the investigation into the deaths, told Onmanorama, “We checked with Kasargod SP A Srinivas regarding the suicides and the social media pages and hashtags the boys followed. However, at present there are no strong evidence to prove terror links, but we are not ruling it out.”
Srinivas said this was for the first time he came to know of a case in the state linked to cyber suicides even though there were warnings like the 'Momo' and 'Blue Whale' challenges.
A psychiatrist from Ernakulam was surprised to see media reports that there is a tendency among boys aged below 18 to follow social media pages that glorify solitude and death and the Wayanad boys were known to be following similar pages.
#psychochekkan
Some of the posts under #psychochekkan had taglines in Malayalam meaning 'there is no point in waiting for those who left', 'I miss something terribly' or 'I need to go for a trip to forget everything'.
However, police also feel that the situation that led to the suicides will not only be the influence of social media but outside elements also.
No proof yet
According to cyber security expert and Kerala Armed Police 4th battalion commandant K Sanjay Kumar Gurudin, it is too early to arrive at a conclusion regarding the motive behind the suicides.
“It would be premature to conclude what was the exact motive for them to commit suicide since investigation is in the preliminary stage. One of the boys had been following #psychochekkan on Instagram and that is the reason the social media element is a highlight in the cases, but as of now it is too early to conclude that these suicides were due to the social media group.
Cops are collecting details of the suicides as well as accident deaths that took place in the district in the past one year. As of now there are no links to connect the social media activities of 16-year-old Nasser, who ended his life at Panamaram. Hailing from Anchukunnu, near Panamaram, less than 10km from the houses of Anas and Subin, Nasser hanged himself in an abandoned building near his house. His body was found on October 10. According to social worker Shakeer Vythiri, who took up the suicide issue before the media, the boy's relatives had approached the police seeking more investigation into the case. “The boy had written the names of five of his friends on the wall. Till now, no evidence on social media involvement is found,” he said.
Anas and Subin
Anas, a class XII student, hanged himself on September 26 without leaving any note, at his home at Kambalakkad. His death led cops to probe the common link to the three deaths. Officials found that class XI student Subin, a friend of Anas, also committed suicide under similar circumstances at Kaniyampatta on October 28. Police immediately came to the conclusion that all the three were known to each other.
Wayanad police, along with Kasargod cops, cyber cell sleuths and intelligence officers, are carrying out the investigation into the cases now.
In another development, a few psychiatrists in Ernakulam also informed police that they were having patients showing similar symptoms.
According to Dr Vinod Bhattathirippad, a cyber and forensic expert who has been a consultant for various government agencies, the incidents need not be centred around Wayanad only. “If there is a hashtag spreading like #psycochekkan, not only the children from Wayanad would be following it. Parents and teachers should be more alert and there should be more efforts from them to prevent further incidents,” he said.
After the three suicides, Wayanad cops are now probing all suicides by young boys in the past. Police say all the victims had deleted their posts before ending life.
Suicide pacts
“There are several cases of cyber suicides, around the world where teens having suicidal mindset have formed or joined social platform groups, which are used for motivating or glorifying suicide. We call it as a suicide pact. There were instances where the children following the same interests committing suicide together. However, we cannot arrive at a conclusion whether it is of a similar nature here, or if there were some other reason for them to take this extreme step,” said Sanjay Kumar Gurudin.
“The tendency to commit suicide is high among those who have lost a dear one, especially in a suicide. Generally, they follow the same method followed by their friend. There could be many other reasons also behind the tragedy. If it is initiated by a social media group, it is a serious issue,” he sadi.
ISIS's recruitment hub
Kerala is turning out to be the second most sought-after state for recruitment purposes in India for ISIS, which is on a mission to re-establish a holy 'Islamic Caliphate' across the world.
According to sources in the state police, Kerala was the choice destination of ISIS middlemen after strife-torn Jammu and Kashmir. Officers said the middlemen had drafted the services of religious centres in at least two northern and one southern district of Kerala to 'identify' and 'indoctrinate' impressionable youngsters who could be transported to countries like Syria and Yemen where ISIS had a considerable presence.
The ISIS recruiters mostly lured the youth with seemingly repulsive and misinterpreted promises of 'a dream land in heaven' and the 'spring of eternal joy' (also in heaven). Liberal Islamist thinkers shunned the idea and said the Wahabists (hardcore groups) were resorting to a blatant misrepresentation of facts and subversion of religious principles to recruit young men and women.
As on March 30, 2018, 90 Keralites were thought to have joined ISIS. Of this, 16 have been killed in raids by US and other forces fighting ISIS in various countries in the Middle East since 2016. Of the 90, 21 were from Kasaragod and 38 from Kannur. At least 12 Keralites had joined ISIS from Bahrain.
Social scientists were finding it difficult to understand how the educated youths of Kerala were tacitly being turned around to embrace violence and jihadism.
Meanwhile, the state intelligence department is collating data and scanning front organisations, which are often camouflaged as charity houses, being used by ISIS.
