'Black Venom' account linked to teen's death sparks cyber probe
What's the story
The tragic death of a 16-year-old girl in Chottanikkara, Kerala, has sparked a police investigation into an alleged online network suspected to have influenced minors through anonymous social media accounts. The student, identified as Adithya, left her home on January 27 under the pretext of going to school but was later found dead in a nearby quarry.
Cyber evidence
Tragic death leads to cyber investigation
Initially perceived as a personal tragedy, the case has now expanded into a cyber investigation after police found digital clues from Aditya's phone and online activity. A note allegedly written by her mentioned emotional distress over the reported death of a Korean friend. However, investigators suspect that online interactions may have played a larger role in influencing her actions.
Account investigation
'Black Venom' account central to investigation
Central to the probe is an Instagram account named "Black Venom," which Adithya had been following. The account featured posts related to Korean music bands and imagery aimed at teenagers with a strong interest in Korean pop culture. Reportedly, the account had over 30 followers initially, but most disappeared after Adithya's death, raising suspicions of coordinated behavior among its followers.
School violations
Students violating school norms by secretly using phones
Cyber forensic analysis has also revealed worrying patterns. Officers found that students were violating school norms by secretly bringing mobile phones to school and operating multiple Instagram accounts from a single device. In one case, eight different accounts were logged in on one phone, which was sent for examination. Although login credentials have been preserved, many profiles were created under false identities, making it difficult to trace the users involved.
Ongoing investigation
Authorities are probing organized cyber groups for psychological influence
Authorities are reportedly now probing whether organized cyber groups could be psychologically influencing teenagers by circulating misleading or emotionally provocative content. Officials told The New Indian Express that tracking such accounts is difficult as many operate through foreign servers or private browsing modes. OnManorama quoted police sources as saying, "The SIT is trying to determine if the teenager was a victim of a sophisticated digital prank or cyber-grooming. The 'Black Venom' account is being checked."