Doctor takes own life with self injection in Kodaikanal over gambling debt

A 29-year-old doctor pursuing his second-year postgraduate studies was found dead inside his car near the hill town of Kodaikanal in Tamil Nadu.

Police confirmed that the doctor died by suicide by self-administering an intravenous drug, reportedly driven by heavy debt incurred through online gambling.

The deceased, identified as Joshua Samraj from Vedachandur in Dindigul district, had completed his medical degree in the Philippines and had worked in various hospitals across Tamil Nadu.

Joshua had been reported missing four days earlier, and a complaint was registered at Vedachandur Police Station by his relatives. Local commuters had alerted authorities after noticing a car that had remained parked for several days near Poombarai.

When the police reached the spot, they found Joshua’s body inside the vehicle, along with an intravenous drug apparatus. Investigators recovered his mobile phone, which contained bank transaction records indicating substantial financial distress, allegedly caused by online gambling.

Further investigation is underway.

In March 2025, Dr George P Abraham, a distinguished nephrologist and senior surgeon, was found dead at his farmhouse in Kerala’s Ernakulam district. He was 74. A senior surgeon at the nephrology department of a leading private hospital in Kochi, Dr Abraham had arrived at the farmhouse in Thuruthissery, near Nedumbassery, with his brother. After dropping his brother off, he returned alone. He was later found hanging at the property that night.

A suicide note recovered from the scene stated that he was struggling to continue his medical practice with the same proficiency. Reports indicate he had undergone back surgery six months ago and developed hand tremors thereafter.