Karnataka Woman Dies By Suicide After Husband Loses Rs 1 Crore In IPL Betting

Bengaluru: A 23-year-old woman reportedly committed suicide after her husband lost Rs 1 crore in betting during the Indian Premiere League (IPL) tournament in Karnataka.

The woman, identified as Ranjitha V, was found hanging in her house at Chitradurga in the state. She had left a suicide note narrating the harassment she and her husband faced from the men who had loaned them money, police told the media.

According to sources, Ranjitha had married Darshan Babu, an Assistant Engineer in the Minor Irrigation Department at Hosadurga, in 2020 and they have a two-year-old child.

Darshan, who had been placing major bets in IPL games since 2021, often borrowed money for the purpose. He allegedly borrowed more than Rs 1.5 crore to place bets but lost all his money. He managed to return Rs 1 crore but had a pending loan of Rs 84 lakh, police said.

According to a police complaint filed by Venkatesh, Ranjitha’s father, Darshan was extremely distressed due to the constant harassment by money-lenders.

“Darshan was not willing to get into betting, but the suspects forced him saying it was an easy way to get rich. They promised to finance his betting activities against some blank cheques as security,” Venkatesh told media. He has also named 13 people who had lent money to Darshan.