Abdullapuram:

A married couple died by suicide due to their inability to repay debts incurred by their 22-year-old son through online gambling, police said on Wednesday.

U Maheshwar Reddy (45) and his wife ended their lives on Tuesday night in their farm at Abdullapuram village in Nandyala district.

“The couple consumed a soft drink laced with insecticide as they could not repay the debts to the tune of crores of rupees incurred by their son,” Atmakuru sub-divisional police officer R Ramanji Naik told PTI.

According to police, Maheshwar Reddy had already sold five acres of his land to clear debts worth Rs 2 crore. He also disposed of the family home and other assets as per a settlement arrived at a local kangaroo court for clearing the remaining debts.

For the past six months, the couple was living with a relative while the son was residing in Hyderabad.

Mounting pressure from lenders has forced the couple to take the extreme step, they added.

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