BENGALURU: A 20-year-old college student, addicted to online gambling, took his own life after being unable to repay his debts. The incident took place at his residence in KR Puram on November 23, and his parents filed a police complaint on December 2, after learning that he took the extreme step due to pressure from his friends to return the money.
The deceased, identified as Praveen, was a student of 2nd year BSc at a private college.
The police said Praveen had been addicted to online gambling for over a year. He reportedly placed bets on cricket and other sports through mobile applications. He had borrowed money from friends and relatives to fund his gambling addiction.
As his debts increased, he faced pressure from his friends to repay the money. Unable to do so, he took the extreme step and ended his life on November 23. He hanged himself from a ceiling fan using a blanket. His parents found him hanging and alerted the police, the police said.
‘Friends were pestering him’
The police added that initially, a case of unnatural death was registered. However, on December 2, based on a complaint filed by the youth’s father, a case under Section 108 (abetment of suicide) of the BNS was registered.
His father alleged that Praveen took the extreme step as his friends were pestering him to return the money that the latter owed to them. “It is estimated that he had raised loans to the tune of Rs 5 lakh,” the police added.
During investigation, the police questioned Praveen’s friends and found that he was always hooked to his phone for gambling. The police have seized the phone and are analyzing the financial transactions related to the deceased’s gambling activities. The KR Puram police, who have registered a case, are further investigating.