BHUBANESHWAR: A 31-year-old man from Odisha’s Kendrapara district allegedly died by suicide after incurring substantial financial losses in online betting.
The man, identified as Achyutananda Sahoo from Oradi Lankapada village, reportedly took the extreme step by jumping in front of a moving train near Jharsuguda railway station.
Achyutananda was employed as a head cashier at a hotel in Jharsuguda town. Sources indicate he had recently informed his mother that he had taken a personal loan of approximately Rs 25 lakh, which he was struggling to repay.
“He (Achyutananda) arrived at the hotel around 7:00 a.m. and completed his duties as usual, leaving for his room in the staff quarters at about 4:00 p.m. I spoke with him in the morning, and he didn’t show any signs of stress,” said Pradipta Kumar Sahu, the hotel manager. “Later, around 9:30 p.m., I received a call from one of his family members informing me about a message he had sent them. I immediately reported the matter to the Jharsuguda Town police station and requested their help in locating him.”
According to Santosh Mirdha, the Inspector-In-Charge (IIC) of the Government Railway Police (GRP), preliminary investigation and text messages suggest that Achyutananda’s death was likely linked to financial distress caused by online betting losses.
“However, the exact cause will be confirmed once the post-mortem report is available,” he added.