TikTok suicide: 16-year-old Siya Kakkar's death shocks India

TikTok star Siya Kakkar, a vibrant and talented 16-year-old, committed suicide at her home in New Delhi on June 25. The tragedy has shocked India and many are wondering what made her take such a drastic step.

Kakkar was known for posting dance videos, often set to popular Hindi and Punjabi tracks. She was a talented dancer and her TikToks garnered millions of views.

Delhi Police have reportedly seized Kakkar’s cell phone. However, according to India Today, the police have been unable to unlock the device and will take the help of family members to get into it and explore her call records and other details.

Police say they will question Kakkar’s friends and schoolmates regarding the incident. A post-mortem has already been done.

“Siya died by suicide at her residence in New Delhi at around 9pm on June 25. She lived with her family. Her family is in shock and has requested privacy. No suicide note has been recovered,” the Deputy Commissioner of Police told India Today Television.

Reports say that Kakkar had been staying home due to the current COVID-19 lockdown in India and had been feeling depressed for a couple of days prior to her death.

With over 1.1 million fans on the video sharing app, Kakkar was a popular face on TikTok. She was very active on social media channels and would regularly post dance videos on her accounts.

In the last TikTok video Kakkar posted, the teen can be seen on a rooftop mouthing the words to a phrase said in the Bollywood song ‘Chand Sifarish’ from the 2006 movie ‘Fanaa’.

Her manager Arjun Sarin reportedly said she seemed fine until the evening before her death. Kakkar had posted a dance video on the evening of June 24.

With her death coming so close after the suicide of Bollywood actor Sushant Singh Rajput, some people have questioned if hearing about the tragedy triggered the young girl to take the step. However, her family and police have not confirmed anything of the sort.