Banker ends life after losing money in Bitcoin trade

KASARGOD: A temporary employee of a public sector bank allegedly died by suicide after she lost money in Bitcoin trade. Susheela, 39, of Meenapis Kadappuram in Kanhangad had consumed rat poison on Monday after which she fell ill. She died on Thursday after her condition deteriorated.

Hosdurg police shifted the body to Kannur Medical College Hospital but did not insist on postmortem after tests revealed she was Covid-19 positive. The body was cremated on Friday. “As the family did not raise any suspicion, we decided against conducting postmortem,” said an officer of Hosdurg station.

According to police sources, Susheela formed a network of people and raised money to invest in Bitcoins, a digital currency secured by cryptography. As of now, one bitcoin is trading at around Rs 37 lakh. However, the officer said Susheela lost around Rs 10 lakh because of a ‘technical lapse’. Only recently, she told her investors she had lost money.

According to a sub-inspector, Susheela was engaged in online trading. “We will have to investigate to know the details,” he said. She consumed poison after investors started asking for money. She was taken to the hospital on Monday after she fell ill. Though she was sent back after being prescribed medicine, her condition worsened on Thursday. She reportedly told her family she had consumed poison. She is survived by husband Prasad, two children, and parents Balal and Vimala of Meenapis Kadappuram.

If you are having suicidal thoughts, or are worried about a friend or need emotional support, someone is always there to listen. Call AASRA's 24x7 Helpline: +91-9820466726 for assistance.