ED summons Tollywood actors in illegal betting apps case; Rana on July 23; Deverakonda Aug 6
ED summons Tollywood actors over endorsing illegal online betting apps
By Newsmeter Network
ED summons Tollywood actors in illegal betting apps case; Rana on July 23; Deverakonda Aug 6
Hyderabad: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has registered a case against several popular Telugu film actors for allegedly promoting illegal online betting apps on social media.
Prominent actors under ED scanner
Actors Rana Daggubati, Vijay Deverakonda, Prakash Raj and Lakshmi Manchu have been named in the case.
According to officials, these celebrities promoted betting apps through advertisements that claimed āYou can earn money for freeā and āYou can win too,ā thereby allegedly misleading the youth.
Many incurred huge losses due to illegal betting apps
The ED stated that such promotions encouraged young people to use illegal betting apps, many of whom ended up losing significant amounts of money. These apps reportedly used celebritiesā influence to gain quick popularity among unsuspecting users.
Actors to be questioned in July and August
As part of the investigation, the ED has summoned the actors for questioning on the following dates: Rana Daggubati (July 23), Prakash Raj (July 30), Vijay Deverakonda (August 6) and Lakshmi Manchu (August 13).
Meanwhile, sources indicate that some actors may respond through their lawyers, arguing they were unaware of the appsā illegal nature and had no intention to mislead the public.
Tollywood in shock
The case has sent ripples through the Telugu film industry. Industry experts say this will serve as a caution to celebrities endorsing products or apps without thorough due diligence.
Possible regulatory changes ahead
The development has also sparked discussions at the central level to introduce stricter guidelines regulating betting apps and their advertisements to prevent exploitation of young users.
