HYDERABAD: A 27-year-old man from Peddapalli district took his own life after falling into debt due to online betting, shedding light on the rising toll of digital gambling platforms across Telangana.
Vemula Vasanth Kumar, a resident of Centenary Colony in Ramagiri mandal, had been working as a Volvo operator at the C-5 company under the RG-3 Area’s OCP-2 mining zone. He lived with his parents, Vijay and Ravishankar, and was the younger of two sons.
Over recent months, Vasanth had developed a growing addiction to online betting apps. Despite a previous intervention by his family—during which his father had cleared debts of nearly ₹4 lakh—he reportedly resumed gambling and suffered further financial setbacks.
Unable to cope with the mounting losses and afraid to confide in his family again, Vasanth is believed to have fallen into deep emotional distress. In a tragic turn, he took his life by hanging himself at home while no one else was present.
His death has left the family shattered and has reignited concerns over the easy access to online betting platforms, particularly among young working-class individuals. Local residents and officials have called for stricter regulation of such apps, which they say are claiming lives silently.
Authorities have registered a case and are investigating the circumstances surrounding the incident.
