Telangana Horror: Online Betting Addiction Claims Another Life as Debt-Ridden Teen Dies by Suicide

Telangana Horror: The 13-year-old’s name is Vikram, and he is a resident of Kandukur, a neighbourhood situated in the Sangareddy district of Telangana. He is alleged to have lost around ₹1 lakh betting on the internet. According to reports by NDTV, he ended his life at home and was immediately taken to a nearby hospital by his parents. But he couldn’t be saved. Police have marked this incident and are investigating it to determine the reasons for his death.

This incident has come on the heels of several cases where suicide has occurred due to people getting deeply into debt from online gambling. Very recently, Paladugu Sai, who is a cab driver and just 24 years of age from Hyderabad, allegedly took his own life due to his heavy debts generated from betting apps. The police told NDTV that Sai had been addicted to online gambling for two years and had taken many advances from friends and banks during this time. His total outstanding debt stood at the time of his death of ₹15 lakhs.

In another case, a civil contractor from Bhopal, aged 32, reportedly took his own life because of losing almost Rs 30 lakhs in online gaming sites. There was a letter recovered from his flat stating that he had borrowed many times to play an online game. Earlier, a 38-year-old man from Gurugram had also taken his life because of his failure to return the loan borrowed for playing online gaming sites.

Causing such instances repeatedly, serious concerns have been raised about the unregulated growth of online gambling apps, their accessibility, and the unawareness regarding addiction and finances. Strict regulations, awareness, and the need for mental health interventions for preventing such tragic incidents are still being emphasised by the government and experts.

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