Blue Whale challenge has been a horror for kids and adults at the same time. (Twitter)

Blue Whale challenge has been a horror for kids and adults at the same time. The deadly game managed to lure in plenty of students and grown-ups into its honey trap. In yet another case a 21-year-old youth has been caught playing the game and acting in a manner that was harmful. Identified as Sandeep Kumar, a resident of Mandi on December 21, the man made a hoax call about the presence of a bomb at the inter-state bus terminal (ISBT), Mandi. He did this to complete the Blue Whale challenge, as per Hindustan Times report. The hoax had created panic among the public, thus putting the police, fire brigade, health department and administration‘s top officials on their toes on Thursday, last week.

“Sandeep Kumar, a resident of Mandi, said he did it to complete the Blue Whale challenge. It was also revealed that he had earlier also tried to commit suicide by over speeding the bike,” said a police officer, the report added. Following the incident, the police seized his and mobile and the phone is being scanned. The cops are also investigating if there is any other friend of Sandeep trapped in the deadly challenge.

It all happened when Mandi bus stand assistant in-charge, Netra Singh, received a call from an unknown number at 10 am on Thursday. The unknown caller informed Singh about the presence of a powerful bomb fixed at the bus stand premises. Before Netra could ask for the caller’s identity, the call was disconnected.

The police were immediately informed and the public was requested to vacate the premises. The police with the help of bomb disposal and dog squad searched the entire bus stand but found nothing suspicious.

Earlier, last month, a bench of the Supreme Court directed all state governments to make school children aware of the dangers posed by virtual dare games like Blue Whale Challenge. The bench comprising Chief Justice Dipak Misra and Justices A M Khanwilkar and D Y Chandrachud said school-going children should be made aware of the “beauty of life” and the dangers posed by such games.

The bench also directed the Union Human Resources Development Ministry to take requisite steps to inform all schools in the country about the ill-effects of such games. It directed the Chief Secretaries of all states to ask the secretaries of the concerned departments to take steps in this regard. The apex court considered the interim report of a committee set up by the Centre to enquire into the suicides committed by students in some states while playing the Blue Whale challenge.

On October 27 the apex court had asked Doordarshan to produce a 10-minute educational show on the perils of virtual dare games. It had said educational TV programme should also be shown not only by the public broadcaster Doordarshan but by all private channels on prime-time.

The court had also asked the government to set up a panel of experts to block virtual dare games like Blue Whale Challenge which has allegedly led to several suicides.