21-Year-Old Man Kills Himself After Losing Money In Online Gambling

A 21-year-old man reportedly took his own life after losing a significant amount of money in online gambling games in Ahmedabad, Gujarat, India on Sunday, Sept. 11.

The deceased man, identified as 21-year-old Prabhat Sharma, reportedly began playing online games and gradually shifted to online gambling last year. However, Sharma allegedly began developing an addiction to online gambling and started losing money. After consecutive losses, he reportedly would borrow money from his friends before going on online gambling websites again, the Times Of India reported.

Sharma subsequently fell into debt due to his gambling addiction. When his college hostel mates went out on Sunday afternoon, Sept. 11, he reportedly refused to go with them and stayed in his room. After being left alone, he allegedly proceeded to hang a noose from the ceiling fan in his room and took his own life.

Sharma reportedly left a suicide note before killing himself. In the letter, Sharma stated that he was in severe debt due to his online gambling habit and stated this to be the reason for his suicide. Sharma's suicide note also mentioned that he had borrowed money from many people and requested his father to pay off the debts, Times Now reported.

"If someone comes and asks for money, please pay them," Sharma said in his note addressing his father.

Two weeks prior to his apparent suicide, Sharma had reportedly come home to Vapi on Aug. 27 to see his parents. While he was at home, he admitted to his mother that he could not focus on his studies due to his online gambling addiction.

After he returned to his college hostel, he fell into a severe depression over being in debt and reportedly decided to block his father's phone number along with many others. Since he blocked his father's number, his dad began calling the son's classmates to inquire about him.

Sharma was reportedly in the second semester of his Bachelor of Engineering course at Vishwakarma Government College in Chandkheda, Ahmedabad.

According to officers of Chandkheda Police Station, Sharma was a brilliant student who scored above distinction marks not just in Classes 10 and 12 but also in the first semester of his engineering course.