Representational image. (Photo credit: Pixabay)

Chennai Man Kills 8-Year-Old Son After Losing Rs 50 Lakh in Online Gambling

A 43-year-old man from the Madambakkam area in Chennai, identified as P Krishna Chaitanya, has been arrested for allegedly strangling his eight-year-old son, Badri, to death. The incident occurred in the early hours of Sunday, as Chaitanya was overwhelmed by mounting debts after losing Rs 50 lakhs in online gambling.

Chaitanya, who works as a Cook at the Tambaram Air Force Station, had become addicted to online gambling and had accumulated significant losses over the years. The native of Andhra Pradesh had sold off all his properties in his hometown but was still unable to repay his debts. The monthly loan payments exceeded his monthly salary, leaving him in a desperate situation.

During the tragic incident, Chaitanya’s wife and their four-year-old son were sleeping in another room of the house, unaware of the horrifying act taking place. Following the murder, Chaitanya attempted to die by suicide at Marina Beach but was apprehended by the police.

The PMK leader, Anbumani Ramadoss, has urged the Tamil Nadu government to expedite the hearing of the appeal filed in the Supreme Court. He highlighted that two lives have been lost in recent days due to online gambling in Tamil Nadu alone.

“This incident serves as a cruel example of the devastating consequences of online gambling. The Madras High Court ruling allowing games of skill, such as online rummy and poker, has paved the way for the resurgence of online gambling, posing a threat to innocent lives. This is the second fatality in the last three days caused by the loss of money in online gambling,” said Ramadoss.

It is worth mentioning that just three days ago, a teacher named Saravanan from Tiruparangundram in Madurai district took his own life by jumping in front of a train, also due to financial losses from online gambling.