Ghaziabad sisters’ suicide: Neighbours wonder how their seclusion went largely unnoticed; ‘spent time confined to single room’

GHAZIABAD: Residents of the Bharat City Society in the Sahibabad area were in shock after three sisters jumped to their deaths from their ninth-floor apartment on Wednesday, with many questioning how the girls’ prolonged seclusion went unnoticed.Small groups of residents were seen huddled within the residential complex, discussing the tragedy and expressing concern over the impact of online addiction on impressionable young minds. "It is very shocking. One can understand if someone takes such an extreme step owing to depression. But how could all three sisters do this together?" wondered Isha Tyagi, a resident.The woman said she had never seen the girls attending school or playing with other children in the society park, adding that their prolonged isolation had gone unnoticed for years.Police said that while details were still sketchy, the preliminary probe indicated the girls were influenced by Korean content, particularly a Korean game, and spent a considerable amount of time on their mobile phones.Deputy commissioner of police Nimish Patil said the girls' education had been irregular and their academic performance was below par. "But it is evident that the girls were highly addicted to mobile phone usage," Patil told PTI.Locals said the family had been living in the society for about three years, but largely kept to themselves.Rahul Kumar Jha, the joint secretary of the residential society, said he had occasionally seen the girls going for tuition but was unaware of their schooling. "They spent most of their time confined to a single room. The children were never seen playing outside or interacting with others," he said.According to the girls’ father, Nishika (16), Prachi (14) and Pakhi (12) became addicted to online gaming during the pandemic and played almost continuously. He said the girls had been playing the game for the past two-and-a-half to three years.A forensic team has found several sentences written on the walls of the girls' room. Some of those read: "make me a heart broken", "I am very very alone" and "my life is very very alone", police said.Jyoti Kasana, a resident of the society, said, "Children at this age are vulnerable. Even sudden actions like taking away a phone or tablet can deeply affect their mental state." Vice-president of the society, Ajay Kasana, told reporters that the children had not been attending school since the Covid-19 pandemic.The three sisters have left behind a chilling note that said, "Read everything written in this diary, it is all here " It was accompanied by a crying face emoji and a handwritten message, "Sorry papa, I am really sorry." Police said the matter is under investigation and statements of residents are being recorded. (With agency inputs)