For Telugu bidda Raghunandan Yandamuri, gambling was a hard addiction to let go.
Like a python wrapped tight around its prey, the vice of gambling had taken hold of Raghunandan Yandamuri and wouldn’t let go easily.
In March 2012, Raghunandan Yandamuri filed for bankruptcy in a Northern California court citing gambling losses of $50,000 in the previous 12 months.
Raghu Yandamuri – Gambling Loss Disclosed in Bankruptcy Filing
Seven months later, after Raghunandan Yandamuri had got married to Komali Alokam and after he had moved to Pennsylvania, the gambling itch stuck Raghunandan Yandamuri again.
Again, Raghunandan Yandamuri lost in the casinos.
This time, Raghunandan Yandamuri’s loss was $15,000, according to media reports.
Apparently, no one told Raghunandan that it’s hard to get rich gambling in a casino. The House always has the upper hand in a casino.
Young Indians in the U.S. are traditionally not given to gambling and Raghunandan’s gambling practice is the rare exception.
Where did Money Come From?
The interesting question is where did Raghunandan Yandamuri get the money to squander away $15,000 in the casinos after moving to Pennsylvania.
Since Raghu had already declared bankruptcy in California, availability of credit was hard to come by.
In a video confession to the Montgomery County Police that was played at the preliminary hearing today, Raghu said he’s suffered gambling losses of $15,000 the week before the two Venna murders (on October 22, 2012).
To make up for his losses, Raghunandan planned to kidnap 10-month-old Saanvi Venna, daughter of his Telugu neighbors Siva Venna and Chunchu Lata, and ransom her for $50,000.
Like Raghunandan Yandamuri, Siva and Lata are also software programmers. And Raghunandan Yandamuri saw them as easy prey for his new get-rich scheme.
But Raghu’s kidnapping attempt of baby Saanvi Venna went terribly awry and led to the death of her 61-year-old grandmother Satayavathi Venna from stab wounds caused by the 4-inch knife in Raghu’s hands.
Raghunandan said he then panicked, stuffed a cloth in Saanvi’s mouth to stop her from crying, put a towel around the baby’s head, stuffed her in a suitcase and dumped the suitcase under a bench in an unused sauna in the basement of the apartment complex where both he and the Vennas lived.
Baby Saanvi Venna was found dead on October 26, 2012 with blood on her dress.
Related Stories:
Telugu Gambler Raghunandan Yandamuri’s Crime Gamble Failed Big Time
Police Complaint Against Raghunandan Yandamuri
Great Gambler Raghunandan Yandamuri Lost $15,000 Just Before Venna Murders added by SearchIndia.com on
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This (http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/suspect-baby-grandma-deaths-casino-losses-17827261#.ULZBHIbHIUg) article says that the case is going to trial. Does that mean he did NOT plead guilty?
SearchIndia.com Responds:
Thanks, sweetie!
Raghunandan Yandamuri had the opportunity to plead guilty but did not.
http://www.searchindia.com/2012/11/28/raghunandan-yandamuri-does-not-plead-guilty-vennas-murder-case-goes-to-trial/
An another casey antony kind of case 🙂
SearchIndia.com Responds:
Big difference, sweetie!
Big difference!
Casey got out after one year.
Raghunandan Yandamuri is unlikely to ever leave prison vertically!
“Apparently, no one told Raghunandan that it’s hard to get rich gambling in a casino. The House always has the upper hand in a casino.” – also say that to yourself and countless others (I’m one of them) for playing the Powerball lottery 😛
The problem is not with gambling itself but getting addicted to it.
It’s no different from drugs, smoking and the like.
Many of the crimes that happen today can be attributed to these underlying addictions and the need to make some quick money.
One could also argue that if there were no casinos to begin with this crime could have been avoided.
SearchIndia.com Responds:
1. There’s a difference between buying a Powerball/Megaball ticket 5 or 6 times a year (total loss about $10) and squandering tens of thousands of dollars at casinos.
2. More important, I believe in the concept of Opportunity Crime/Opportunity Bad Behavior.
If there’s an easy opportunity, more people will engage in bad behavior.
Casinos are all over the place these days. Your state already has half-dozen casinos and is adding more. It’s the same in my state and a lot of other states.
Being the curious sort, I’ve been to casinos in four states – it’s all the same except that the ones on the Las Vegas strip are a bit more flashy!
>> There’s a difference between buying a Powerball/Megaball ticket 5 or 6 times a year (total loss about $10)
Well you might be speaking for yourself and forgetting about the many folks who (I suppose) religiously buy a ticket every single day to build up the lottery to be that big. You and I are probably only jump in later when it is big and all over the news.
I have been to both AC and Vegas and came to the conclusion “ee raayi ayithe enti tala kottukovataniki” (it doesn’t matter which stone you use to break your head) 😛
Where did Money Come From to squander away $15,000 in the casinos after moving to Pennsylvania ???
This question is still a mystery.
If the answer to this question can be found, one can understand why he was so desperate to take such an extreme step of planning to kidnap such a small baby … the root cause for Raghu’s fall from normalcy might be located in his desperate thoughts & attempts on getting rich quick with the help of luck..
But he never got the luck.. neither in casino, nor in the idiotic & murderous attempt of the half failed kidnap….
But why he was in such a desperate need of quick money either from casinos (may be he started this gambling with the background of the increased prominence of the money required for fulfilling his new responsibilities with the new turn of his life ..marriage) or from the kidnap, only he can tell……
And we need to learn from this guy that how a person will fall if one attempts to seek a quick fortune through bad ways …
As analysed by you, I think it was written on the wall for him now & that’s the reason why he is not pleading guilty ..there by delaying his END…. even though he might have not analysed so deeper ..like you did …..
May God bless him in his next life to have some good thoughts .. if he has any other life…..
SearchIndia.com Responds:
1. There are a lot of gaps in the Raghu Yandamuri story….but what we do know is that he needed some money to get his in-laws to visit here and help his wife post-delivery. $5,000-$6,000 for air tickets, visa fees etc etc????
That’s one of the oddities of our Indian culture – Arrival of a Baby means Arrival of Grandparents.
When you see elderly Indian visitors here, you can safely go up to them and inquire about their new grandchildren! 😉
2. Some of the money for gambling might have come from his earnings/borrowings…there are some gaps here.
Only Raghu Yandamuri can fill in the gaps.