Vijay Deverakonda, Rana Daggubati, Prakash Raj booked by ED in betting app scam case

Vijay Deverakonda, Rana Daggubati and Prakash Raj land in legal trouble

South superstars Vijay Deverakonda and Rana Daggubati recently landed in legal trouble for promoting allegedly illegal online betting platforms.

According to the recent reports by the Times of India, Deverakonda and Daggubati have been booked by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in a betting app scam case. A case has been registered against the actors along with the 29 other celebrities, including Prakash Raj, Manchu Lakshmi, Nidhi Agarwal, Ananya Nagalla, and Srimukhi.

Several celebrities have been booked based on an FIR filed by the Hyderabad Cyberabad Police. The Telangana police had previously registered a case against several celebrities, including popular actors and YouTubers, for allegedly endorsing illegal betting apps.

Influencers, including Harsha Sai and the team behind the popular YouTube channel Local Boi Nani, are under investigation by ED officials. Authorities suspect that substantial amounts of money were funnelled through these endorsement campaigns, potentially connected to money laundering activities.

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Businessman Phanindra Sarma initially lodged the complaint against the celebrities, claiming that several people had become victims of such apps as they lost their savings while taking part in betting.

The businessman had also accused in his complaint that the celebrities had accepted hefty paycheques to promote such apps, further influencing the public, primarily those who are already having financial struggles, to invest, which results in financial losses.

The police registered the case under appropriate sections of the BNS, the IT Act, and other laws pertaining to online fraud and cheating.