18-year-old Kerala influencer dies by suicide following online trolling over break-up

A popular teenage social media influencer in Kerala died by suicide, allegedly due to online trolling after her break-up with her boyfriend.

The Class 12 student attempted suicide at her Thiruvananthapuram home last week and passed away on Sunday while receiving treatment at the hospital.

The influencer's family claims that she faced significant trolling on Instagram following her break-up with her boyfriend, who is also an influencer. Reports indicate that her ex-boyfriend's followers targeted her after the split.

According to her parents, they advised her to focus on her studies after learning about her relationship. The teen ended the relationship two months ago, leading to a period of depression.

The 18-year-old girl, a resident of Thrikkanapuram, attempted suicide by hanging a week prior to her death. Her family immediately took her to the Government Medical College in Thiruvananthapuram, where she succumbed to her injuries on Sunday night.

The hospital authorities notified the police, but no formal complaint was filed by her parents regarding the suicide attempt. Police attempts to take a statement from the girl were unsuccessful due to her worsening condition.

Her Instagram account, which had over 100,000 followers, displayed comments indicating she had been a victim of cyberbullying in the weeks leading up to her death. The police are currently investigating the exact cause of her suicide.

On Tuesday, police arrested Binoy, the girl's 18-year-old ex-boyfriend, in connection with her death. Binoy, a resident of Uzhamalackal in Nedumangad, was charged under the POCSO Act for abetment of suicide, following a complaint by the girl's family. The FIR revealed that the couple had been in a romantic relationship and had known each other since before puberty, initially connecting through social media.

When the girl informed her parents about the relationship, they decided to discuss it with Binoy's parents and asked her to concentrate on her studies in the interim. After a quarrel two months ago, the couple broke up, leading the girl to attempt suicide by hanging on June 10. She was rushed to the Thiruvananthapuram Medical College Hospital but died on June 16.

The police are conducting a thorough investigation into the circumstances surrounding her death, aiming to understand the full extent of the cyberbullying and other factors that may have contributed to this tragic event.