A 25-year-old man from Saraswathi Nagar in the city allegedly died by suicide after reportedly losing around ₹18 lakh in online games and falling into crippling debt.
The deceased, Shashikumar, had invested large sums in online gaming apps, believing he had won over ₹19 crore. In a detailed six-page death note, he expressed anguish over being misled by the gaming platform. According to his note, while the app showed massive winnings — ₹19,25,21,722 — he was never paid a rupee. But when he lost, the platform relentlessly demanded repayments.
Shashikumar stated that he borrowed heavily to cover the losses, which left him emotionally and financially shattered. He accused the app operators of fraud, alleging they ensured payment collection when he lost but refused to release money when he won.
In a two-page appeal within the note, he urged the Karnataka chief minister, deputy CM, and chief justice of the high court to impose a strict ban on online gaming platforms. He also requested MP Dr. Prabha Mallikarjun to raise the issue in Parliament to prevent similar tragedies.
The KTG Nagar Police have registered a case and begun investigations. A complaint was also filed earlier at the Vidyanagar Police Station.
This tragic incident has reignited concerns about the unchecked rise of online gambling and its devastating impact on youth.