UP news: Gaming addict son kills mother for insurance money to pay debt

livemint.com:

₹ 50 lakh insurance to settle his mountain of debt, India Today reported. The Fatehpur police said the accused, Himanshu, was addicted to online gaming on an app called Zupee and accumulated a debt of a significant amount due to repeated losses. Himanshu allegedly stole his family's jewellery and used the money to buy life insurance policies worth ₹50 lakh each for his parents.

Later, he allegedly choked his mother to death when his father had gone to visit a Hanuman temple in nearby Chitrakoot, said police. The incident came to light when Himanshu's father came back from Chitrakoot and found his wife and son missing from home. After inquiries with neighbours, he got to know that Himanshu was seen near the riverbank with a tractor.

Subsequently, the police were informed and the body of Prabha was recovered near the Yamuna River on February 21, 2024. Himanshu was arrested soon after. During police interrogation, Himanshu accepted his crime and revealed the shocking murder of a mother by his addicted son so that he could clear his debt.

"During interrogation, he (Himanshu) revealed that he had sold his relative's jewellery, which led to his father scolding him. The accused was also slapped once or twice and pressure was being exerted to bring the jewellery back. In addition, he had lost money on some games, which led to pressure to repay the debt.