Three Indian Sisters End Lives Over Obsession with Korean Culture After Parents Confiscate Phone

In a shocking incident that has sent ripples across the globe, three young Indian sisters tragically jumped to their deaths from the ninth-floor balcony of their apartment in Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh, India. The siblings, identified as Vishika (16), Prachi (14), and Pakhi (12), reportedly took this extreme step early on Wednesday, February 4, 2026, around 2:15 AM, following a heated family dispute over their excessive use of mobile phones and deep immersion in Korean pop culture, K-dramas, and online gaming.

The devastating event unfolded at Bharat City Society, where the girls lived with their parents and a younger sister. According to local reports, the sisters had become so engrossed in Korean entertainment during the COVID-19 pandemic that they adopted Korean names—Maria for Vishika, Aliza for Prachi, and Cindy for Pakhi—and even distanced themselves from their Indian roots. Their father, Chetan Kumar, a stock trader facing financial difficulties, had recently imposed strict restrictions on their phone usage in an attempt to curb what he saw as an unhealthy addiction.

Eyewitness accounts paint a harrowing picture of the final moments. A neighbor, Arun Singh, recounted to Indian media how he spotted one of the girls perched on the balcony railing, seemingly ready to jump. “I called my wife, thinking it was a marital dispute or something. Then another girl came out to pull her back, and soon a third joined. Before I could react, all three fell headfirst,” Singh said, adding that he made multiple calls to emergency services, but the ambulance arrived after an hour—a delay he described as a “sad reality” in a country where food deliveries happen in minutes.

The girls’ screams reportedly woke their parents and neighbors, but by the time the door to the balcony was forced open, it was too late. Police arrived at the scene and confirmed the deaths, with Assistant Commissioner of Police Atul Kumar Singh stating, “We confirmed that three girls, daughters of Chetan Kumar, had died after jumping from the building.” An eight-page suicide note found in a pocket diary revealed the depth of their obsession. The chilling message read in part: “How will you make us leave Korean? Korean was our life, so how dare you make us leave our life? You didn’t know how much we loved them. Now you have seen the proof. Now we are convinced that Korean and K-Pop are our life.”

The note went further, expressing disdain for their family and Indian culture: “We didn’t love you and family as much as we loved the Korean actor and the K-Pop group. Korean was our life.” They listed other interests like Thai, Japanese, Chinese, and English music and movies, as well as cartoons such as Peppa Pig, Elsa, and Ariel, and survival games like Evil Game and Poppy Playtime. Shockingly, the sisters mentioned their disgust at the idea of marrying Indian men, stating, “We liked and loved a Korean, but you wanted to make us marry an Indian. We never expected anything like this. So that’s why we are committing suicide.”

The girls, who had dropped out of school two years ago, also spoke of their fourth sister, Devu, whom they wanted to introduce to their world but felt thwarted by their parents. “You introduced her to Bollywood, which we hated more than our lives,” the note lamented. They declared Devu their “enemy” and separated her from themselves, saying, “We are Korean and K-Pop, and you are Indian and Bollywood.”

Investigations suggest the sisters may have been influenced by a Korean task-based interactive game, possibly titled “We are not Indians,” which allegedly assigned challenges culminating in suicide and provided users with Korean names. However, police have not confirmed the exact app, and seized devices are under examination. Some reports indicate that two of the sisters might have fallen accidentally while trying to prevent the third from jumping.

Visuals from the family’s home added to the heartbreak, showing scribbles on the bedroom walls like “I am very very alone” and “make me a hert of broken” (sic), underscoring their profound isolation despite being inseparable from each other. The father, in a tearful statement, shared excerpts from the note: “Papa, sorry, Korea is our life, Korea is our biggest love, whatever you say, we cannot give it up. So we are killing ourselves.” He added, “This should not happen to any parent or child.”

This tragedy has sparked widespread discussions on the dangers of unchecked digital addiction among youth. Experts warn that gaming and social media obsessions can lead to emotional distress, social withdrawal, and in extreme cases, self-harm. In Nigeria, where K-pop and foreign entertainment trends are also gaining traction among teens, this serves as a stark reminder for parents to monitor screen time and foster open communication. As one neurologist advised, watch for signs like irritability, sleep disturbances, and neglect of studies—early intervention could save lives.