Panic erupted on social media platforms in Gorakhpur on Friday evening when a live video stream by a local influencer appeared to show a desperate suicide attempt. The alarming broadcast prompted a swift, tech-driven police response, only for the situation to be revealed as a deeply misguided prank.
The Alarming Live Stream and Emotional Message
The woman, who works as a chef at a hotel in Gorakhpur but is originally from Gopalganj district in Bihar, went live on a social media platform. The video depicted her holding what looked like medication and consuming it with water, all set to the backdrop of a melancholic song. To amplify the distress, she accompanied the video with a deeply emotional post addressed to her friends. It read, "If I die, don't ask why I died. Just think for yourself what could have been the reason." This combination of visual and textual cues sent shockwaves through her followers and the wider netizen community.
Swift Police Intervention Unravels the Truth
The crisis was averted by automated technology. Meta's AI systems flagged the concerning content and automatically alerted the Gorakhpur police. Acting on this digital tip-off, the police quickly tracked the woman's location to the Gulriha area and rushed to her residence. Upon questioning, the shocking truth emerged. The woman confessed to officers that the entire episode was a staged act intended as a joke for her circle of friends. She clarified that she had not ingested any poison but had simply consumed a piece of chewing gum during the broadcast.
Police Response and a Stern Warning
The authorities did not take the incident lightly. Gulriha Station House Officer (SHO) Vijay Pratap Singh stated that the woman was given a severe reprimand for creating and disseminating such dangerously misleading content. She was explicitly warned about the consequences of her actions, which wasted valuable police resources and caused unnecessary public alarm. After the stern warning, she was let off. The incident highlights the serious repercussions of using sensitive topics like self-harm for online engagement or as a prank.
This event underscores the growing challenge of distinguishing genuine distress calls from hoaxes on social media. While the rapid response by Meta's AI and the Gorakhpur police is commendable for a real crisis, it also shows how easily systems designed for safety can be exploited, leading to potential desensitization and resource diversion.
