For allegedly promoting illicit betting and gambling applications on their social media accounts, 25 celebrities and influencers—including actors Rana Daggubati, Vijay Deverakonda, Prakash Raj, and Lakshmi Manchu—have become the subject of a First Information Report (FIR).
After businessman Phanindra Sarma filed a complaint, the FIR was filed at the Miyapur Police Station in Hyderabad.
He claimed that many individuals who put money into these applications were defrauded since these celebrities received large sums of money to endorse different betting sites.
Sarma’s complaint, which was submitted on Wednesday, brought attention to the financial harm that these apps are causing, particularly to middle-class and lower-class households. He claimed that these platforms con people into investing large sums of their hard-earned money under the false pretense of easy money, only to leave them bankrupt.
Sarma was nearly persuaded to invest in one of these platforms, but he changed his mind after hearing from his family about the potential financial hazards.
For cheating and identity theft, the suspects have been charged by the Telangana Police under many provisions of the TS Gaming Act and the IT Act, including Section 66(D) of the Information Technology Act.
The promotion of illegal betting activities is included under sections of the FIR as well.
Officer G Ramesh Naidu is in charge of the investigation.
“This investigation underscores our commitment to protecting the public from harmful gambling and betting platforms that exploit individuals for financial gain,” inspector K Kranthi Kumar told the press.
Vijay Deverakonda and high-profile individuals mentioned in the FIR
The FIR also names a number of influencers and celebrities who pushed illegal gambling apps in addition to those already listed.
Among many others, these are Praneetha, Varshini Sounderajan, Siri Hanumanthu, Sreemukhi, Neha Pathan, Pandu, Padhmavathi, Imran Khan, Praneetha, Ananya Nagella, and Nidhhi Agerwal.
According to the petition, these platforms and apps are causing enormous financial damage, and middle-class and lower-class families are further swayed by the endorsements of these apps by well-known individuals.
In response to the FIR, one of the accused, Raj, stated that he had been in an advertising for the site “way back in 2015.”
“We decided to withdraw after a year,” he stated, as reported by NDTV, adding that he was seeking further details about the situation. The allegations against these prominent figures in Telugu cinema are expected to create a significant impact.
During the ongoing investigation, several Telugu television personalities like Surekha Vani, Supritha, Ritu Chaudhary, and Getup Srinu have expressed regret for their previous promotion of betting platforms, claiming they were unaware of the consequences at that time.
In addition to Tollywood, similar accusations have surfaced against leading Bollywood actors as well.
Stars such as Ranbir Kapoor, Sanjay Dutt, and Shraddha Kapoor have been summoned for questioning regarding their involvement in various betting scandals.
