Mumbai, Jul 30: Actor Prakash Raj appeared before the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Wednesday in connection with the investigation into the alleged promotion of illegal betting apps. He reached the ED’s regional office in Basheerbagh at around 10 a.m.
The probe follows the registration of cases against Prakash Raj and several other actors by the Cyberabad Police in March. Prakash Raj had earlier stated that he did not renew his contract to promote a betting app in 2017 once he realized it was inappropriate.
The ED has recently summoned prominent actors, including Rana Daggubati, Prakash Raj, Vijay Deverakonda, and Manchu Lakshmi for questioning. Rana Daggubati was initially asked to appear on July 23 but requested a change in date. Vijay Deverakonda has been directed to appear on August 6, while Manchu Lakshmi’s appearance is scheduled for August 13.
These four actors are among 29 celebrities booked by the ED on July 10 for allegedly endorsing illegal betting apps. The Enforcement Directorate filed a case (ECIR) against them and other influencers, including YouTubers, for allegedly promoting betting platforms in violation of the Public Gambling Act, 1867.
The investigation is being conducted under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) and is based on five FIRs filed in Telangana and Andhra Pradesh. Besides the actors mentioned, others named include film stars Nidhi Agarwal, Pranitha Subhash, and Ananya Nagella, as well as TV personalities and social media influencers like Sreemukhi, Shyamala, Varshini Sounderajan, Vasanthi Krishnan, Shoba Shetty, Amrutha Chowdary, and several others.
Most of the celebrities had already been booked by Hyderabad and Cyberabad police departments, with FIRs registered at multiple police stations including Panjagutta, Miyapur, Cyberabad, Suryapet, and Visakhapatnam.
The ED suspects that these endorsements involved platforms such as Junglee Rummy, A23, JeetWin, Parimatch, Lotus365, among others, which allegedly laundered large sums of money through paid promotions.
When initially questioned by Hyderabad and Cyberabad Police, many actors denied any wrongdoing, stating they terminated their promotional contracts after ethical concerns arose.
The investigation continues as authorities seek to uncover the full extent of the illegal betting app promotions and associated money laundering activities.
