Rana Daggubati, Prakash Raj In Trouble With Police Over Suspected Promotion Of Betting Apps

The Miyapur police in Cyberabad have registered a case against 25 people, including actors Rana Daggubati, Prakash Raj, Manchu Lakshmi for their alleged involvement in promoting betting apps.

Case filed against Telugu celebs in betting app involvement.

Source : Instagram

The Miyapur police in Cyberabad have registered a case against 25 people, including actors Rana Daggubati, Prakash Raj, Manchu Lakshmi, and Nidhi Agarwal, for their alleged involvement in promoting betting apps.

Hyderabad police have intensified their efforts against the promotion of illegal betting apps, extending their crackdown beyond YouTubers and influencers to now include Tollywood celebrities.

The First Information Report (FIR) was registered under sections 318 (4), 112 r/w 49 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), 3, 3(A), and 4 of the Telangana Gaming Act, and Section 66D of the Information Technology Act, 2008.

Complaint Details

The case was filed based on a complaint by Phanidra Sharma, a resident of Miyapur, who alleged that several celebrities and influencers were actively promoting illegal betting apps and websites. According to the complainant, these promotions encourage addictive and risky behavior, leading to financial distress and harm to individuals and society.

Recent reports indicate that the Miyapur police have registered cases against several well-known actors, including Rana Daggubati, Vijay Deverakonda, Prakash Raj, and Manchu Lakshmi. Additionally, cases have reportedly been filed against Nidhhi Agerwal, Pranitha, and Ananya Nagalla, among others, with around 25 individuals currently under investigation.

Several other popular figures, such as Siri Hanumanthu, Sreemukhi, Vamsi Soundarya Rajan, Vasantha Krishna, Shobha Shetty, Amrutha Choudhary, Nayini Pavani, Neha Pathan, Pandu, Padmavati, and Imran Khan, are also said to be under scrutiny as part of this ongoing investigation.

Though Hyderabad and Cyberabad Police recently registered cases against social media influencers for allegedly promoting betting apps, for the first time, an FIR has been booked against actors.

Punjagutta Police of Hyderabad on Monday booked a case against 11 social media influencers on a complaint made by one Vinay Vangala (40), a private employee, who raised concerns over mobile apps and websites promoting gambling activities in violation of the Public Gambling Act of 1867.

Police Action and Investigations

This is the first time an FIR has been registered against actors in connection with such promotions. As part of the ongoing investigation, the police have issued notices to the accused named in the FIR. Some of them have already appeared before the authorities.

Social media influencer Vishnu Priya appeared before the investigating officer on Thursday. Deputy Commissioner of Police (West Zone) SM Vijay Kumar acknowledged that many youths in Telangana have faced heavy financial losses due to online betting, with some even resorting to suicide.

Prior Cases and Ongoing Crackdown

The crackdown on betting app promotions began recently when the Hyderabad and Cyberabad Police booked several social media influencers for promoting such platforms. On March 16, Cyberabad Police also registered a case against YouTuber Harsha Sai for similar offenses, following a complaint by an individual who reportedly lost over ₹13 lakh due to betting.

Earlier, cases were also registered against YouTuber 'Local Boy Nani' from Visakhapatnam and Bayya Sunny Yadav from Hyderabad. Investigations are ongoing, and more developments are expected as authorities continue their crackdown on illegal betting promotions.