Gondia: A tragic incident unfolded in Gondia as a 24-year-old youth named Neeraj Mankani took his own life on July 28, allegedly due to severe financial losses incurred through online game addiction. This heartbreaking incident has prompted his grieving mother, Mamta Ashok Kumar Mankani, to file a case against bookies accused of abetting her son’s suicide and leading him into the world of gambling through deceptive gaming apps.
Neeraj Mankani, a resident of Babba Bhawan, Chandrashekhar Ward, Gondia, committed suicide on July 28 by hanging himself in his own residence. His actions were driven by mounting financial losses that he had suffered while engaging in online gambling, causing him to fall into a state of despair.
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Friday 20 Dec. 2024
Initially, Gondia police had registered the case as an accidental death under Section 174. However, with concrete evidence and the determination of Neeraj’s mother, the police have initiated a thorough investigation. Acting on the complaint of Mamta Ashok Kumar Mankani, the police have filed a case against the accused bookies, identified as Chirag Phunde, a resident of Civil Line and Abhijeet, a resident of Sales Tax Colony.
The accused bookies have been charged under Sections 306 (abetment to suicide), 420 (cheating), and 34 (common intention) of the Indian Penal Code, in addition to Sections 4, 5, and 12 of the Gambling Prohibition Act. Furthermore, the police have also included charges against an unidentified individual who had allegedly manipulated the deceased youth into using a fraudulent online gaming app for financial gain.
Investigations have revealed that the incident transpired between March 2022 and July 28, 2023, within the Babba Bhawan area of Gondia’s Srinagar locality. The accused bookies enticed Neeraj into participating in online gambling on apps such as ‘Gajanan App,’ ‘Mahadev App,’ and ‘Reddy App,’ all of which involved real-money wagers. The bookies consistently profited from these games while Neeraj incurred substantial financial debts.
Neeraj Mankani, struggling under the weight of his mounting debts and the relentless threats from the bookies to recover their money, tragically chose to end his life by hanging himself in his residence.
The case is now under the purview of the Gondia city police, with Assistant Police Inspector Sagar Patil leading the investigation under the guidance of Superintendent of Police Nikhil Pingle. The objective is to uncover the full extent of the bookies’ involvement in this devastating case of online game addiction leading to tragedy.
The heartbreaking suicide of Neeraj Mankani serves as a stark reminder of the perils of online game addiction and the critical need for effective regulation and awareness in combating fraudulent gaming schemes. The legal proceedings against the accused bookies represent a step towards justice for the grieving family and a broader effort to address the societal challenges posed by online gambling and its associated risks.
-Ravi Arya
