An engineering student from Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh, took a toll on his own life on Friday, September 1. The 20-year-old was found hanging in his TT Nagar residence. Reports have revealed that no suicide note could be found at the place of incident. Further, the student’s father Vijay Namdev revealed that his son Deepak was an online gaming addict.

During police inquiry, the father told that his son used to engage aggressively in online gaming on his smartphone. Vijay suspected that his son was involved in activities like betting and gambling as well.

As per The Times of India report, Vijay runs a vegetable stall in Malviya Nagar region. The son named Deepak was pursuing BTech from a private college in Bhopal. Upon further questioning by ASI Akhilesh Tripathi, the father also told that Deepak transferred Rs 14,000 from his bank account across a couple of transactions.

Suspicion of online betting also got Namdev family to counsel their son. However, all went in vain, as their counselling seemed to have made no effect. The case has been registered at the local police station, and further investigation is underway.

Meanwhile, this is not the first time that a case of suicide has taken place. Several cases of suicide due to online gaming and betting addiction keep surfacing regularly. Cases of debt-ridden lives and mental health issues have also been experienced in the past.

The rise of online gaming addiction cases in India

As a result of these cases, many protests have been held across states like Maharashtra. Celebrity influence and false endorsements are said to be the key reasons for online gaming addiction among the youth.

Even though celebrities endorse a brand for money, it is up to players to use their due diligence. In fact, it is advisable to play only with as much amount as one can actually afford to lose. A verification regarding legality of these apps and sites must also be done.