Online gamer son under probe for woman’s murder

Sources in Lucknow police said Nikhil, 25, was addicted to online games and had lost a large sum of money

On the run since his mother was found murdered on Friday, a 25-year-old man, who’s also the key suspect in the case, is said to be extremely fond of online games, so much so that he has lost a lot of money due to them.

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Renu Yadav, 45, was found dead in her house at the Kali Paschim locality near Rae Bareli Road on Friday evening. A blood-stained LPG cylinder was recovered from the spot. The post-mortem report revealed three to four deep head injuries that caused her death. Her son, Nikhil Yadav, has been missing since.

Sources in Lucknow police said Nikhil, 25, was addicted to online games and had lost a large sum of money. “An investigation suggests that he has taken loans from several apps to fund his gaming addiction. He is in huge debt,” said a senior police officer privy to the investigation.

Nikhil’s motorcycle was found abandoned at a parking lot near Charbagh.

CCTV footage accessed by police show him leaving home on his bike. He reportedly didn’t show any signs of distress. He later made phone calls to his uncle and a friend, claiming that he was being kidnapped, before switching off his phone.

Police have detained his friend Arun for questioning, as the two were in touch after the incident.

“Four teams have been deployed to trace Nikhil,” said DCP South Nipun Agarwal.

“The case has again highlighted how online gaming addiction is becoming a growing concern in Lucknow,” said a police officer. Recently, a minor in Mohanlalganj allegedly died by suicide following heavy financial losses due to online gaming addiction.