THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The youth who was found dead near his house at Kuttichal on New Year’s eve had ended his life after losing about Rs 22 lakh in online rummy, according to his family and the police. Vineeth, 29, of Bineesh Bhavan, was a contract worker on the Valiyamala campus of the Indian Space Research Organisation. He was found hanging from the branch of a rubber tree on December 31.
Vineeth’s father Velayudhan Pillai said his son was an avid gamer but said it was not the only reason for his suicide. “We had promised him all support to repay the money he had taken from different persons. We were preparing to sell our house,” said Pillai who suspected that his son got threats over the phone. A statement by his brother Bineesh to the Neyyar Dam police pegged the loss at `4 lakh.
“We are clueless about the exact amount. The phone has been handed to the cyber forensic wing for examination. The report will give information on the game he played and the money he lost,” Saju, the station house officer with Neyyar Dam station, told TNIE.
Youth ran away once due to mounting debt
Quoting family, the inspector said Vineeth was an addict of mobile phone and online gaming. He lost most of the money during the lockdown when he spent more time on the phone. Some friends and relatives loaned him money. The inspector said the youth had run away from his house some months ago. “We traced him to Kottayam on the same day. He told us that he ran away due to some issues over the mounting debt,” Saju said.The inspector said he had asked the family to make the youth attend a counselling programme. “He was found very much depressed back then. I had told the family to get him proper counselling,” he said.