Karnataka: Woman commits suicide after husband loses Rs 1.5 cr in IPL betting

Darshan Babu (left) and his deceased wife Ranjitha (right)

A man’s bid to become rich through online betting on Indian Premier League matches has turned into a nightmare after his wife committed suicide over harassment from money lenders.

The man, an assistant engineer with Karnataka’s irrigation department in Hosadurga, Chitradurga, allegedly lost around Rs 1.5 crore, following which the lenders threatened that they will defame the couple for unpaid dues.

This led to the homemaker wife Ranjita V hitting a breaking point and was found dead in her bedroom on March 19. The Holalkere resident, in a suicide note, explained the harassment she and her husband faced from the men who had loaned money.

Her father Venkatesh M filed a complaint against 13 men, who had allegedly loaned money.

“As per the complaint from Ranjitha’s father Venkatesh, Ranjitha died by suicide because of the harassment from those people who loaned money to her husband, Darshan. While Darshan was taking money from the people,  for surety he was giving people an empty cheque,” said Chitradurga superintendent of police, Dharmendra Kumar Meena.

Taking cognizance of the complaint, the police filed a case of abetment to suicide under IPC 306 against the 13 accused, three of whom have been arrested while others are still at large.

“People used to threaten the couple, come near the house and fight with them. All this increased the stress level for Ranjitha and that led her to end her life. A case, however, was filed as per her father’s complaint,” he added.

“During our investigation process, we found that Darshan Balu took 84 lakh rupees from moneylenders. This huge amount was taken between 2021-2023 during the IPL. We filed a case against 13 people and have arrested three members”, said Meena.

According to a Times of India report, Darshan has repaid most of the Rs 1.5 crore loss that he has incurred. However, he still owes Rs 54 lakh. The couple has a two-year-old son.