GHAZIABAD: As police continue their investigation into the deaths of three sisters in Ghaziabad, their father, Chetan Kumar, has admitted facing financial difficulties but insisted these were not linked to the alleged suicides.
“I had taken a loan of Rs 30 lakh, but that was not the reason behind my daughters’ deaths. They wanted to become Koreans, while I wanted to raise them as Indians. They created their own world of fantasy,” he said.
Within Bharat City Society, residents gathered in small groups to discuss the tragedy and express concern over the growing influence of online content on children.
“It is extremely shocking. One can understand if someone takes such a step due to depression, but how could all three sisters do this together?” said resident Isha Tyagi.
She added that the girls rarely interacted with other children and were seldom seen attending school or playing in the society park. Their prolonged isolation, she said, had largely gone unnoticed.
Police said preliminary findings indicate that the sisters were deeply influenced by Korean online content, particularly a popular game, and spent most of their time on mobile phones. Deputy Commissioner of Police Nimish Patil said their school attendance had been irregular and their academic performance below average.
“It is clear that they were highly addicted to mobile phone usage,” he said.
Neighbours said the family had been living in the society for about three years and largely kept to themselves.
Rahul Kumar Jha, joint secretary of the residents’ association, said he had occasionally seen the girls attending tuition classes but was unaware of their formal schooling.
“They remained confined to a single room most of the time and were never seen playing outside or interacting with others,” he said.
According to their father, the three sisters — Nishika (16), Prachi (14) and Pakhi (12) — developed an addiction to online gaming during the Covid-19 pandemic and had been playing almost continuously for the past two-and-a-half to three years.
A forensic examination of their room revealed several sentences written on the walls, including “make me a heart broken”, “I am very very alone” and “my life is very very alone”, police said.
Another resident, Jyoti Kasana, said children in this age group were particularly vulnerable. “Even sudden actions like taking away a phone or tablet can deeply affect their mental state,” she said.
Ajay Kasana, vice-president of the society, said the girls had stopped attending school after the pandemic.
Police also recovered a note believed to have been left by the sisters. It read, “Read everything written in this diary, it is all here,” followed by a crying emoji and a handwritten message: “Sorry papa, I am really sorry.”
Authorities said the investigation is ongoing and statements from residents are being recorded.
