CHENNAI: PMK founder S Ramadoss on Friday urged the DMK government to expedite steps to bring up a hearing in the High Court on the appeal against its order allowing online gambling and approach the apex court seeking a ban on the same.

In a statement, the senior leader said that Krishnamurthy of Saligramam, a manager at a private firm, had died by suicide after losing Rs 15 lakh in online gambling. “He was playing online gambling for the last three years. Due to the guilt and depression of losing the money, he took his life. After the PMK protested against online gambling, the state government banned the gambling twice but it failed to justify the ban in the court. This has pushed several families into debs,” Ramadoss said.

He added that in the past 9 months, the state government could not get a stay against the Madras High Court order that allowed online gambling. “The state government has not taken any steps to bring an appeal of the order for hearing. Due to its apathy, 15 persons have lost their lives,” the senior leader stated.

Ramadoss then urged the state government to take measures to bring the appeal case for hearing in the High Court and justify the ban in the Supreme Court.