Youth commits suicide after IPL betting losses

Malda: A 26-year-old youth, Apu Poddar, allegedly died by suicide in Jhajhra village under Mangalbari area of Old Malda block, triggering shock and grief in the locality. The incident came to light around 9 am on Tuesday.

Poddar, a warehouse worker, is survived by his wife, three-year-old child, and elderly parents. According to family members, he had borrowed around Rs 25,000 from a local lender after the start of the IPL season and reportedly lost the money in betting.

“He was under immense pressure to repay the loan and had become mentally distressed over the past few days,” a family member, Binoy Poddar, said.

He had been missing since Sunday afternoon. On Monday evening, he made a video call to his mother, expressing a desire to see his child one last time. He told his mother: “You won’t see me again.”

Following a police complaint, his body was recovered from an abandoned house nearby using mobile tower location tracking.

Police have sent the body for post-mortem and initiated an investigation.

“We are probing all angles, though prima facie it appears to be a case of suicide,” a police officer stated.

The incident has raised concerns over illegal betting and high-interest lending practices in the area.