Bangalore:

Ranjitha, a 23-year-old housewife, was found hanging at her home in Chitradurga, Karnataka. While police were investigating the death, they uncovered a horrific saga involving cricket betting and a debt of over Rs 1 crore involving her husband Darshan Babu.

Darshan Babu, an assistant engineer in the small irrigation department, started betting on IPL matches in 2021, a year after he got married to Ranjitha. His father-in-law said Darshan was lured into the cricket betting industry with promises of quick money.

Darshan was told that he could make money easily by betting on IPL matches with almost no risk. The man running the gambling ring even promised that they would fund his bets if he would give them a blank check as security.

The engineer, who police said was in his twenties, gave in and started betting on Indian Premier League (IPL) matches. He won at first and started making bigger bets.

But luck, as always, betrayed him, leaving behind a series of losses. Indulging in the temptation of betting, he had no choice but to borrow money at high interest rates and by the end of the 2023 IPL season, his debt would have exceeded Rs 1 crore.

Darshan’s debt weighed heavily on the young couple, who had a two-year-old son. What followed was constant harassment from moneylenders, which eventually led to Ranjitha’s suicide.

On March 18, the police found Ranjita at her home. During the investigation, they also found a suicide note detailing constant threats and harassment from the moneylender.

Her father named 13 people in his complaint and accused them of intimidating and threatening the couple.

Three lenders have been arrested and police said the investigation into the case is ongoing.

Rangisa’s tragic death has sparked discussion about the dark world of online gambling. Last year, the Enforcement Directorate uncovered a betting gang called Mahadev in which promoters had raised over Rs 400 crore. The Mahadev app became the target of investigative agencies after a Rs 200-crore wedding, paid entirely in cash, was held in the UAE in February this year.