Chennai man racks up Rs 20 lakhs debt in online game, kills self

On Thursday, Nagarajan's wife heard a noise and rushed out of the bedroom to find him taking the extreme step and soon, he was rushed to Government Stanley Hospital but was declared dead on arrival.

Online games have been gaining popularity in India rapidly.

CHENNAI: A 37-year-old man allegedly died by suicide at Manali on Thursday after racking up a debt of Rs 20 lakh due to online gambling. Police found his diaries listing out his debts. Police said, the deceased was identified as Nagarajan (37), a painting contractor.

Over the past few months, he grew addicted to online gambling and borrowed money from relatives. While his family advised him to stop gambling, he continued to play in hopes of recovering his money. On Thursday, Nagarajan's wife heard a noise and rushed out of the bedroom to find him taking the extreme step. He was rushed to Government Stanley Hospital but was declared dead on arrival.

His body was sent for postmortem. A case was filed. Probe is on. This is the second such case in Manali in June. Earlier, a 29-year-old woman died by suicide allegedly after losing Rs 3 lakh to online gambling.

(If you are having suicidal thoughts, or are worried about a friend or need emotional support, someone is always there to listen. Call Sneha Foundation - 04424640050 or iCall, the Tata Institute of Social Sciences' helpline - 02225521111, which is available Monday to Saturday from 8 am to 10 pm)