A 21-year-old youth slashed his wrist at Jharkata village in 42 Mauza under Sadar Police limits on September 17 morning while allegedly playing the Momo Challenge. The injured, Sunil Das, was rushed to Bentakar Community Health Centre and later shifted to SCB Medical College and Hospital.

Sources said, Das had cut his right wrist with a sickle on September 16, at about 3 am. Hearing his screams his mother rushed to the room to find him unconscious in a pool of blood. He was then rushed to the hospital.

Though the exact reason behind the incident is yet to be ascertained, his family members suspect that Sunil took the step while playing Momo Challenge, the online game, on his mobile phone.

Sunil's father Basudev Das said, his son is working with Ruchi Spice Company and used to remain absent-minded. He did not interact with family members keeping himself busy in mobile games for the last few days. He had also developed a phobia following which even he had even stopped going to work for the last three days.

Earlier, the Momo Challenge was also blamed for the death of 24-year-old youth Umakant Behera at Umara village under Mahanga police limits in Cuttack district, who hung himself, inside an under-construction community centre at the village on the night of September 4.