Karnataka Woman Dies By Suicide After Husband Loses Money In IPL Bet

A 23-year-old woman died by suicide after her husband lost a staggering one crore rupees in Indian Premium League betting. In her suicide note, Ranjitha detailed the betting habit of her husband and how the moneylenders have been harassing the couple. Her body was found hanging at her home in Karnataka's Chitradurga on March 18. Ranjitha's husband, Darshan Babu, works as an assistant engineer in the Minor Irrigation Department at Hosadurga and has been betting on IPL matches from 2021 to 2023.

 As per the reports, Darshan used to borrow money when he lost bets or when he wanted to place a new one. This took a major toll on the couple's finances. He had allegedly borrowed 1.5 crore rupees to place bets on IPL matches. However, his luck didn't support him and he lost all the money. Although he has managed to return one crore, he is still in debt of Rs. 84 lakh. 

When Bets Turn Deadly

 Ranjitha's father, Venkatesh, filed a police complaint in which he said that the couple got married in 2020 and Ranjitha came to know about Drashan's betting habit in 2021. Venkatesh claimed that his daughter was extremely depressed due to constant harassment by the moneylenders. He has also named 13 people in the complaint who allegedly lent the money. 

Venkatesh also said that his son-in-law was not willing to get into betting. However, he was lured into it with the promise of getting quick money. "He (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 checks as security," the father said. 

Cops have begun the investigation. The couple has a two-year-old son. 

Lesson learnt?

It is very hard to make any comment in this case. We cannot blindly hold any one person responsible for the tragedy. The wife, of course, had to suffer because of the wrong choices made by her husband. Her husband should have been mindful of his choices, considering that he had a family who might have to bear the brunt of his mistakes. But betting, or any kind of addiction, is hard to resist. It is a human tendency to find shortcuts, especially when it comes to earning money and it is this weakness that many people use to exploit others. So, what's the solution? How can individuals stop themselves from being ensnared into making choices that affect not only them but their families? How can we stop opportunistic and evil-minded people from exploiting and fooling people? To answer these questions is like creating an entirely new society where damages do not exist. But the least we can do is learn from the damage that has happened. 

Views expressed are the author's own.