A 27-year-old man from Vapi, Gujarat, identified as Sapan Patel, allegedly died by suicide earlier this month by jumping into the Vaitarna Creek in Virar after losing Rs 15 lakh to online gambling.
On September 2, Patel left his home on a scooter, informing his family that he was going to Mumbai for a job interview. When he failed to return, his family filed a missing person complaint with the Vapi police.
A suicide note, allegedly handwritten by Sapan Patel, was discovered at his home. In the note, Patel stated that he had lost Rs 15 lakh to online gambling and was ending his life, though he did not specify how he planned to do so. Both the police and his family members immediately launched a search for him.
According to a report of TOI, The Arnala police on Sept 12 were informed about a body being washed ashore at the beach. The body was unidentified. Photographs of the body were shared across the police stations and their Vapi counterparts identified it as Patel. Police stated that they are investigating whether Sapan Patel was subjected to harassment, cyberbullying, or sexual harassment during his involvement in online gambling.