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Purnia / Patna : A 22-year-old polytechnic student in Bihar’s Purnia has died by suicide after reportedly losing Rs 1.5 lakh to online gaming. Paras Kumar, originally from Saharsa, was found dead in his rented accommodation on Friday afternoon. He had been struggling with gaming addiction and academic pressure, according to his family.
The incident occurred in the KP Market area under the jurisdiction of the Assistant Khajanchi police station. Kumar, who was studying at Polytechnic College, had been living away from home and was said to be in the company of peers who introduced him to gaming platforms.
His father, Dilip Shah, told police that his son had failed in four subjects during the third semester last year. Despite this, Paras had expressed hope of performing better in upcoming exams scheduled for June. “He told us he would pass this time,” Shah said.
The student had last spoken to his father on Thursday, saying the cooking gas cylinder had run out. In response, Shah transferred Rs 5,000 to his account. Paras reportedly told his father he would repay a friend, identified only as Rocky, Rs 4,500 from the amount. He stopped responding to calls soon after.
Concern grew on Friday when his roommate noticed that Paras hadn’t emerged from his room until 2pm. After failed attempts to contact him, the landlord alerted the police, who broke into the locked room and found him hanging. A forensic team was called to the scene to collect evidence. Paras’ parents reached Purnia later that night. The family has declined a postmortem, police confirmed.
Paras’ father claimed that his son had been using money intended for tuition and living expenses to fund his online gaming activities. “Paras was influenced by the wrong crowd. He became addicted to games and kept losing money,” he said.
The incident has once again raised concerns about the unchecked spread of online gaming among students. According to psychiatrist Dr Binda Singh, the allure of fantasy and action games can be particularly harmful to teenagers. “They don’t always know what’s right or wrong. Such games can normalise aggression and desensitise children to violence,” she said.
Recent reports suggest a growing number of crimes linked to online games, including cases of murder, robbery and suicide. In the last three months alone, ten such incidents were reported across India, based on publicly available news records.
Dr Singh advises parents to limit screen time, encourage outdoor activities and engage with children more deeply to counter gaming addiction. “Digital detox and strong family bonds are key,” she said.
(If you are having suicidal thoughts, or are worried about a friend or need emotional support, someone is always there to listen. Call Sneha Foundation – 04424640050, Tele Manas – 14416 (available 24×7) or iCall, the Tata Institute of Social Sciences’ helpline – 02225521111, which is available Monday to Saturday from 8 am to 10 pm.)
