Online cricket betting has led to a family tragedy in Hosadurga, Chitradurga. A man ran into debt amounting to crores, and the pressure from creditors led to his wife committing suicide. Times of India reported that the man named Darshan Balu, who works as an assistant engineer with the state minor irrigation department lost approximately Rs 1.5 crore in online cricket betting, which ultimately resulted in his wife taking her life amidst threats from creditors.

Darshan resides in Holalkere and found himself entangled in debt owed to various lenders who facilitated his online betting activities. The pressure from these creditors reached a breaking point when Darshan’s wife, 24-year-old Ranjita V, succumbed to the stress and harassment caused by the lenders.

Ranjita’s body was discovered in her bedroom on March 19. Her father, Venkatesh M, filed a complaint against 13 individuals allegedly involved in lending money to Darshan. In her suicide note, Ranjita detailed the harassment inflicted upon her and her husband by these creditors, attributing their actions as the catalyst for her decision.

The police have lodged a case of abetment to suicide against the 13 suspects, three of whom have been arrested. The remaining suspects are yet to be arrested. Darshan and Ranjita, who have a two-year-old son, have become victims of online betting.

Venkatesh said that Darshan incurred losses amounting to Rs.1.5 crore through cricket betting, despite repaying a significant portion of the borrowed funds. However, sources indicate that Darshan still owed approximately Rs.54 lakh to his creditors at the time of Ranjita’s demise.

According to Venkatesh, Darshan was persuaded into participating in cricket betting by the suspects, who promised him financial support against blank cheques as security. While Darshan engaged in online betting between 2021 and 2023, his losses kept increasing leading to pressure from creditors demanding repayment.