A 12-year-old boy died after falling from the terrace of an 11-storey building in Phoolbagan on Saturday evening.
Police said the boy jumped possibly after watching an animation web series, in which the protagonist jumps off a high-rise only to be rescued by his angel and given supernatural powers.
However, it was not clear till late on Sunday whether it was a suicide or an accident.
The boy, a resident of a housing complex on Canal Circular Road, was a student of an English-medium school in the city.
“We have learned from his family that he would watch an animation web series, in which one of the characters jumps from a highrise and was rescued by an angel who gave him superpowers,” said deputy commissioner (eastern suburban division) Priyabrata Roy.
The victim, youngest in his family, is survived by his parents and an elder brother, police said.
Sources in the police said the family was clueless about his ideas and thought process.
Stricter filters and parental monitoring and communication are required, said psychiatrist Sanjay Garg.
“Some of the content (of web series) is immersive and engaging. An adolescent finds it difficult to draw themselves away from it. Also, too much content is available and data being cheap, students have easy access to the content, some of which is explicit and addictive,” Garg said.
The boy was taken to a nursing home, where he was declared dead. The body will undergo a post-mortem.
An unnatural death case has been registered at Phoolbagan police station. Sources said the family did not lodge any complaint with the police till Sunday evening.