In a heart-wrenching incident in Dhanuwasar village, under Mohanlalganj police station in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, a 14-year-old boy named Yash, the only son of a poor farmer, took his life by hanging on Monday night, September 15, 2025, after losing ₹13 lakh to the online game Free Fire. The tragedy unfolded after his father scolded him upon discovering the massive financial loss, plunging the family into grief.
Yash’s father, Suresh Kumar Yadav, a small-scale farmer, had saved ₹13 lakh by selling ancestral land, intending to secure his family’s future. Unbeknownst to him, Yash had been secretly siphoning the money into Free Fire over the past 10 months, starting with small transactions that escalated into large sums. A Class 8 student, Yash had become deeply addicted to the game, spending hours on his mobile phone.
On Monday evening, Suresh learned of the loss through a bank statement and reprimanded Yash harshly. Unable to bear the scolding, Yash retreated to his room around 10 PM. When his mother knocked and received no response, the family broke open the door to find Yash hanging from the ceiling fan. The village was gripped by shock, with neighbors rushing to the scene.
Mohanlalganj police responded promptly, sending the body for a post-mortem and registering a case. Initial investigations confirmed suicide, and authorities are now probing the transactions linked to the gaming app. SP South, Dr. RP Singh, stated that records are being retrieved from Yash’s mobile, and the family has been assured full support.
The incident highlights the growing menace of online gaming addiction among youth, with experts noting that battle royale games like Free Fire lure players into spending heavily on in-app purchases and virtual currencies like diamonds, resembling gambling. Similar incidents have been rising in Uttar Pradesh, prompting warnings from the state government about stricter regulations on gaming apps. Yash’s devastated family urged other parents to monitor their children’s online activities to prevent such tragedies.
