Surat: A young man from a village in Olpad took his own life by consuming poisonous chemicals after failing to gain followers on social media in his pursuit of becoming an influencer. The growing addiction to mobile phones among youth and the desire to attain instant fame online with minimal effort have become serious societal concerns. Several youngsters have lost their lives while attempting dangerous games and stunts to gain online popularity. In this context, a tragic incident has come to light.

Pratik Patel , the 21-year-old son of Ishwarbhai Jamubhai Patel—a rickshaw driver residing in Navi Colony of Kudiyana village in the coastal area of Olpad—had participated in numerous fitness fairs and earned medals for his performances. He aspired to become a video creator superstar. To achieve his goal, he regularly visited a fitness center and took part in district- and taluka-level competitions.

Pratik created 376 reels and consistently posted them on Instagram and Facebook, urging viewers to follow him. Despite his efforts, he had only 7,923 followers, which left him deeply disheartened. Overwhelmed by frustration, Pratik consumed a poisonous herbicide called gitri at the village cricket ground around 3:30 PM on March 1, 2025.

Upon learning of the incident, his family rushed him to New Civil Hospital in Surat. However, during treatment, doctors declared Pratik dead on Thursday, April 3.

His father, Ishwarbhai Patel, told the Olpad police at the hospital that Pratik had been trying to build a career as a video creator for a long time, but his lack of success had pushed him into despair. Based on his statement, the police have registered a legal case and are continuing their investigation. A.H.K. Nitesh Mansingh is leading the inquiry.

According to the police, while being admitted to the hospital, Pratik gave a dying declaration stating that he had been consistently making videos, but his follower count was not increasing, which led him to take this drastic step. DeshGujarat