THE REGISTRAR (JUDICIAL) Vs. SECRETARY TO GOVERNMENT

JUDGEMENT

(1.) Percy Bysshe Shelley sang of "the desire of the moth for the star, of the night for the morrow, the devotion to something afar from the sphere of our sorrow". But the moth does not go to the star. It falls into the flame and dies. Online games tap such tendencies innate in individuals. They challenge the player to move from one level to the next higer level. They are addictive. Mostly, they are a meaningless waste of time, though some are psychologically harmful. But where the finale is fatal, it can no longer be ignored as something private. The Blue Whale game is one such. It started in Russia and has since spread worldwide. It has now arrived in our very neighbourhood. Vilachery, a sleepy hamlet at a stone's throw distance from the Madurai city limit witnessed the suicide of J.Vicky @ Vignesh last month. He hung himself from his house ceiling. The picutre of a Whale was tattooed on his hand. When this appeared as a news item in the leading newspapers on 01.09.2017, we directed the Registry to register the same as Suo Motu Public Interest Litigation.

(2.) The Order Dated 01.09.2017 Taking Suo Motu Cognizance:

(3.) The Union Government, the State Government, the Local Administration, the IIT Chennai and a Non Governmental Organisation were made parties. We issued notices to them. The Director General of Police, Tamil Nadu was directed to issue suitable advisories to the general public cautioning them. The Government of Tamil Nadu and Education Department acted swiftly and complied with our directions.