Police said S Jeevanandam, 28, from Barber Colony in Thondamuthur had lost Rs 20,000 at one go playing the online game. Frustrated over the loss, he broke his mobile phone before taking the extreme step on Tuesday.

Police said his wife Suganya had frequent quarrels with him for indulging in online gambling over the last several years. “Two weeks ago, she left to her parent’s house as Jeevanandam failed to quit his addiction for online gambling,” police said.

In another incident, Jayachandran, 32, from Machampalayam near Sundarapuram and working as a machine operator had ended his life unable to bear the loss he incurred in online gambling. He was unmarried and was staying in the house of his relative as his parents were no more.

He began online gambling as a time pass, but gradually became a severe addict and lost money. Police however did not say the amount lost by him in online gambling. Jayachandran was also unable to repay the amount borrowed from online lending firms for a surgery.

Depressed over the unfortunate developments, Jayachandran committed suicide. In both the incidents, the police from Thondamuthur and Podanur stations have registered separate cases and further inquiries are on.

With this, a total of three persons have ended their lives due to loss incurred in online gambling within a week in Coimbatore alone. It was on last Thursday that Madan Kumar, 28, a staff of a private bank from Seeranaickenpalayam took the extreme step as he met with severe loss while playing online rummy. Parties and social activists have been urging the government to ban it.