ED books Vijay Deverakonda, Prakash Raj and 29 others for endorsing betting apps

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has booked 29 Telugu actors, influencers, and YouTubers for allegedly endorsing illegal betting platforms, violating the Public Gambling Act, 1867. 

Film stars Vijay Deverakonda, Rana Daggubati, Prakash Raj, Nidhi Agarwal, Pranitha Subhash, Manchu Lakshmi, and Ananya Nagella are among the names listed. The probe, under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, stems from five FIRs registered across Telangana and Andhra Pradesh.

Several TV actors and influencers, including Sreemukhi, Shyamala, Varshini Sounderajan, Vasanthi Krishnan, Shoba Shetty, Amrutha Chowdary, Nayani Pavani, Neha Pathan, Pandu, Padhmavathi, Harsha Sai, and Bayya Sunny Yadav, are also named in the case.

The Enforcement Case Information Report(ECIR) has been booked under BNS sections 318 (4), 112 r/w 49, Telangana Gaming Act sections 3, 3 (A), 4, IT Act 2000 and 2008 section 66D. Most of these celebrities were earlier booked by Hyderabad and Cyberabad police, with FIRs filed at various stations including Panjagutta, Miyapur, Suryapet, and Visakhapatnam.

While Vijay Deverakonda and Rana Daggubati have claimed they endorsed only legal skill-based games, Prakash Raj clarified that he ended his endorsement in 2017 after reconsidering its implications.

The ED suspects money laundering through promotions of platforms like Junglee Rummy, A23, JeetWin, Parimatch, and Lotus365.

The case originated from a complaint filed in March at Miyapur Police Station by Phanidra Sharma, who alleged that celebrity promotions of betting apps were fuelling addictive and financially harmful behaviour in society
(With inputs from IANS)