A 12-year-old boy died in the wee hours of Friday at a Hyderabad hospital hours after he had set himself on fire in an attempt to imitate a stunt he had seen on a cartoon TV show. The incident happened on Thursday night in Balapur.
According to the police, the kid, M Jaideep, had been staying with his grandparents for past five years. On Thursday night, he was watching a cartoon TV series after dinner. “While his grandparents got busy with other work, Jaideep went to terrace and called his grandfather to show a stunt. However, after sometime, the elderly couple heard him shouting and crying in the terrace. They rushed to the terrace only find him on fire,” Inspector V Chalapathi told TNM.
The incident took place at night 10.30 pm. Even though the grandparents tried to douse the fire, Jaideep was severely injured. The young boy was then rushed to a private hospital, after which he was shifted to Osmania General Hospital. “He succumbed to burns in the wee hours of Friday,” the inspector added.
A case of suspicious death has been registered at the Balapur police station, and an enquiry is on.
Activists say that both parents and TV producers must shoulder the blame for such incidents, even if they are rare.
“Today’s TV shows are such and both producers and parents are at fault. They do not think about the consequences of allowing children to watch such shows,” says Achyuta Rao, a Hyderabad-based child rights activist.
“Kids have been watching TV shows and movies, and trying to imitate Chota Bheem and Baahubali. Parents needs to observe their children and inform them that these stunts are dangerous, and even the harmless ones must be done only under supervision,” he adds.
“We have heard of cases in which children try to imitate WWE stunts and end up injuring each other. Producers and filmmakers should also keep in mind while making a TV series for children as to what can affect their minds,” says Rao.
A similar case was reported last year in November, after a 12-year-old boy in Karimnagar died while he was trying to imitate a fire breathing stunt, which he watched on YouTube. The deceased, identified as Koduri Ghanashyam, reportedly tried to blow fire with kerosene in his mouth.