NEW DELHI: Three minor sisters, who died after jumping from the balcony of their ninth-floor flat in Ghaziabad on Wednesday, had not attended school for the past two to three years.The sisters—Nishika (16), Prachi (14), and Pakhi (12)—were after failing academically, which made them feel embarrassed and increasingly withdrawn. The eldest sister was reportedly a Class 4 student.

Their father, Chetan Kumar, said the girls had been playing an online game for about two-and-a-half to three years and developed an online gaming habit during the Covid-19 pandemic. “They had been playing the game for two-and-a-half to three years. I thought it was just like the games we played in childhood. I never imagined this could happen,” he told PTI.Kumar said the three sisters did everything together — eating, bathing, and spending time — and mostly remained confined to their room. He recalled that Prachi, the middle sister, had once told him she was the “boss” and that her sisters followed her directions.The father said he was unaware that the game involved tasks. “They often said they wanted to go to Korea. I did not know that this game involved such tasks. I came to know about all this only after the police forensic team examined their mobile phones,” he added.Police said the sisters were “influenced” by Korean content and were highly “addicted” to mobile phone usage and an online Korean task-based interactive game. Investigators also recovered a diary containing a handwritten note that read, “Sorry, Papa, I am really sorry,” along with a crying-face emoji.The girls died after jumping from the balcony of their ninth-floor flat in Bharat City under the Teela Mor police station limits. The girls were rushed to a hospital in Loni, where doctors declared them dead on arrival. Their mobile phones were later seized by police for investigation.An eyewitness, Arun Kumar, told ANI that he saw the girls jump from the building, and it appeared that one of them planned the jump while the others tried to save her.Police are continuing their probe into the case.