A family of three from Hassan district in Karnataka ended their lives, driven by the father’s addiction to online gambling. The deceased were identified as Srinivas (43), his wife Swetha (36), and their 13-year-old daughter, Nagasree.
Srinivas, a car driver by profession, had moved back to his hometown of Channarayapatna during the COVID-19 pandemic after working in Bengaluru. Despite returning home, he struggled to find stable employment and became increasingly obsessed with playing online rummy. Unfortunately, this obsession led him down a path of financial ruin. Srinivas accumulated significant debt due to repeated losses in the game, borrowing large sums of money from multiple lenders.
As the pressure from creditors mounted, Srinivas shared his predicament with his wife, Swetha, a teacher at a private school. Despite their efforts to manage the situation, the growing debt became unbearable for the couple. In their desperation, they made the decision to end their lives, taking their only daughter, Nagasree, with them.
The family was reported missing last Tuesday, prompting concerned relatives to file a complaint at the Channarayapatna City Police Station. Later, police found the bodies of Srinivas and Swetha floating in the Hemavati canal near Mutlapura village in Bagur. The bodies were recovered by the fire department and sent for post-mortem at HIMS in Hassan. However, the body of their daughter, Nagasree, is yet to be found, and police are continuing their search.
Further investigation is on.
In March this year, after a man lost Rs 1 crore by losing in major bets on Indian Premier League games, his wife died by suicide. The man Darshan Babu was an assistant engineer in Minor Irrigation Department at Hosadurga.
The couple who got married in 2020 have a two-year-old son.
ALSO READ: Heavy Rain Alert In Tamil Nadu, Kerala; Showers Also Likely In These States — Check IMD Forecast
