Vijay Deverakonda and Rana Daggubati had said they only endorsed skill-based games that are legal in India. Prakash Raj had clarified that he chose not to renew his endorsement deal.
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Rana Daggubati in betting apps case: Actor Rana Daggubati has informed the Enforcement Directorate (ED) that he cannot attend their summons scheduled for July 23 due to a film shoot in Tamil Nadu.
The Tollywood star was among several celebrities asked to appear before the central agency as part of an ongoing investigation into illegal betting app promotions.
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Rana has requested a new date, and the ED is likely to send a fresh notice soon.
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The ED had summoned four well-known actors Rana Daggubati, Prakash Raj, Vijay Deverakonda, and Manchu Lakshmi in connection with this case.
The investigation is taking place under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), based on multiple FIRs filed in Telangana and Andhra Pradesh.
According to officials, Prakash Raj is going to appear on July 30, Vijay Deverakonda on August 6, and Manchu Lakshmi on August 13.
These four are part of a larger group of 29 celebrities who are under investigation for allegedly endorsing betting apps. These apps operate in violation of the Public Gambling Act, 1867.
The list includes popular film actors, TV personalities, and social media influencers.
Among the actors in this case are Nidhhi Agerwal, Pranitha Subhash, and Ananya Nagalla. Influencers and TV stars like Sreemukhi, Shyamala, Varshini Sounderajan, Vasanthi Krishnan, Shoba Shetty, Amrutha Chowdary, Nayani Pavani, Neha Pathan, Pandu, Padhmavathi, Harsha Sai, and Bayya Sunny Yadav have also come under the ED’s radar.
Most of these names had earlier surfaced in FIRs filed by Hyderabad and Cyberabad Police. Complaints were registered at several police stations including Panjagutta, Miyapur, Suryapet, and Visakhapatnam.
The investigation reportedly focuses on the promotion of betting platforms like Junglee Rummy, A23, JeetWin, Parimatch, and Lotus365. The ED believes that these promotions may have helped funnel large amounts of money through suspicious channels.
In earlier police investigations, several actors denied promoting illegal betting apps. Some claimed they had backed out of brand endorsements after learning more about the companies involved.
Vijay Deverakonda and Rana Daggubati had said they only endorsed skill-based games that are legal in India. Prakash Raj had clarified that he chose not to renew his endorsement deal with a betting platform after 2017 due to ethical concerns.
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