(Image source from: Teen dies trying to mimic WWE stunt})
A 15-year-old died under mysterious circumstances on Wednesday at Salt Lake. The Class IX student of Apeejay School, claimed cops, died mimicking a stunt that was being enacted on television during a WWE match.
When Agnibesh Datta, Jeet to his friends, returned home from the playground on Wednesday evening, he clicked a selfie with three friends and told them he would post it on his Facebook page after winning the cricket match in the neighbourhood.
According to neighbours at the Post & Telegraph (P&T) Housing Complex where he resides, Jeet sprayed colour on his mother's face after returning from the playground. When she went to the washroom, he switched on a sports channel telecasting wrestling shows.
How he turned a Taekwondo belt into a noose that killed him is unclear. The Bidhannagar North police have begun inquest proceedings. Jeet's father, a central government employee, could not be reached for comment.
The family members though have not accepted the theory, saying Jeet rarely indulged in any form of dare devilry and are at a loss to explain how the healthy teenager choked himself to death.
"Jeet must have been impressed by a particular move that led to him trying it out with fatal consequences. Five minutes later, when his father entered the room, he found him choked and struggling for breath. The belt was tied to the window grill," recounted neighbour Satyajit Maji, whose son Sayak was Jeet's best friend.
He was rushed to Bidhannagar Hospital after a private nursing home refused to admit him. But by then, it was too late. Doctors declared him dead and sent the body for postmortem to R G Kar Medical College Hospital.
On Thursday, the playground in the P&T complex was deserted.
"We were playing a cricket match and our side was bowled out for 52. Since it was late, we decided to resume the match the next day. Jeet's side needed to score 53 to win. But the match will remain unfinished forever," rued Bikram Sinha, Jeet's friend.
Sayak is so devastated by the death that he hasn't spoken since news broke. He remained closeted in his room and sketched all day long.
"Jeet would come to our house every afternoon. He was fond of playing football and cricket and would never miss a chance to play," said Sayak's mother Mitali. She treated Jeet as her second son, often keeping a portion of food for him. "Jeetu loved to eat and enjoyed every dish I made," she said.
Child psychologists warn that children should not be allowed to watch violent shows, even with their parents. A few years ago, a child jumped off a terrace trying to imitate a caped crusader, apparently expecting his hero to come to the rescue. Another child beat his younger sister to a pulp after watching a wrestling bout on TV. And there was the city boy who set himself on fire and was waiting for the superhero to rescue him.
"If parents have a habit of watching violent shows, children are bound to get interested. Kids are curious. When they are alone, they may try to imitate the stars. This is when accidents occur," said a senior psychologist in Kolkata.
- Manohar. M
