Betting Apps case: ED issues notices to Rana Daggubati, Prakash Raj, Lakshmi Manchu
The agency has asked Rana Daggubati to appear before them for questioning on July 23, Prakash Raj on July 30 and Lakshmi Manchu on August 13.
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) issued notices to celebrities accused in the betting app case including Rana Daggubati, Lakshmi Manchu, Vijay Devarakonda and Prakash Raj, tv9 telugu reported.
The agency has asked Rana Daggubati to appear before them for questioning on July 23, Prakash Raj on July 30 and Lakshmi Manchu on August 13.
Earlier this month, the ED had booked 29 celebrities including movie stars, YouTubers and influencers among others.
The YouTubers and influencers named in the FIR are Harsha Sai, Ananya Nagalla, Nidhi Agarwal, Sreemukhi, Varshini Soundararajan, Siri Hanumanthu, Vasanthi Krishnan, Shobha Shetty, Amrutha Choudhary, Nayani Pavani, Neha Pathan, Pandu, Padmavati, Imran Khan, Vishnupriya, Bhaiya Sunny Yadav, Tasty Teja, Ritu Choudhary, Bandaru Supreeta.
Promoting betting apps in disguise of entertainment:
A case has been registered under sections 318(4), 112, r/w 49 of the BNS, sections 3, 3(A), 4 of the Telangana Gaming Act, and sections 66D of the IT Act 2000 and 2008 and is based on an FIR filed by Cyberabad Police. It will be investigated under Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).
The celebrities are accused of promoting betting apps and gambling in the name of entertainment, leading to huge losses for the members of the public.
Many people have ended their lives because of the debt they incurred after gambling on these illegal apps, pushing many families into financial crises, the police said in the FIR.
Vijay Devarakonda and Rana Daggubati said that they promoted apps with legal permissions and that the agreement they signed with betting app companies have ended. Prakash Raj also said that the deal he signed with the betting app company in 2016 has come to an end.