In yet another case of online gaming addiction, a 16-year-old boy from the western suburb of Jogeshwari, Mumbai, allegedly spend Rs 10 lakh – through online transactions for playing PUBG.
The boy ran away from home after his parents scolded him.
The police subsequently traced the runaway teen to the Mahakali Caves area in Andheri (east) and sent him back to his parents, an official said.
The incident came to light on Wednesday evening, after the boy’s father approached the MIDC police station with a missing person’s complaint.
Since the boy is a minor, the police registered a case of kidnapping and a search was launched, the official said.
During the probe, the boy’s parents informed the police that the teenager had been addicted to PUBG since last month.
While playing on the mobile phone, he spent Rs 10 lakh from his mother’s bank account to get an ID and virtual currency to play the game, he said.
When the parents found out about the online transaction, they scolded the boy, following which he wrote a letter and left the home, the official said.
With the help of informants and technical analysis, the crime branch team managed to trace the boy the next day, who was sent back to his parents after counseling, he added.