Agartala, Oct. 21: A 26-year-old man hanged himself here last night after he found that he had bungled while trying to recoup his losses in the market downswing.

Jayanta Saha, a resident of Shanitola and son of an LIC development officer, had invested over Rs 18 lakh in equity shares, which had halved in the meltdown.

Jayanta did not hold a regular job but made a living by investing in the stock market.

A harried Jayanta planned to recoup the losses by making fresh investments in 700 more shares. But while operating his demat account through the Internet yesterday, he keyed in an extra zero, thereby placing an order for 7,000 shares.

Jayanta, who had passed MCom from Tripura University, was alone at home as his parents had gone to Bangalore to visit his married sister.

Having realised the mistake, Jayanta spoke to his father in Bangalore over phone and was advised not to worry.

“Apparently it is a case of suicide though we have found no suicide note. Only papers containing accounts of share values were recovered from his bedroom,” said Sanjay Biswas, officer-in-charge of East Agartala police station.

Police sources said Jayanta’s father Santosh and his mother Manjushree arrived home this morning. He was cremated today after post-mortem.

“Jayanta was upset at having lost so heavily in the stock market, especially because part of the money was his father’s,” an LIC agent and Jayanta’s cousin, Chhaya Saha, said.

Saha said even his parents had tried to pacify him from Bangalore, saying the loss would be made up in time but “Jayanta was inconsolable”.

Kotak Securities, through which Jayanta transacted business, downed shutters early, presumably on hearing the news of his death. Mintu Bhowmik, who heads the local office, refused to comment on the monetary value of shares under his care.