Tollywood Celebrities Booked in Massive Crackdown on Illegal Betting App Promotions
In a significant legal action, the Miyapur police in Hyderabad have filed FIRs against prominent Telugu film personalities, including Vijay Deverakonda, Rana Daggubati, Prakash Raj, Nidhhi Agerwal, Manchu Lakshmi, and several other social media influencers. The charges stem from their involvement in promoting illegal betting apps, an issue that has raised concerns over online gambling in the region.
Other film and TV stars such as Ananya Nagalla, Pranitha, Siri Hanumanthu, Sreemukhi, Vamsi Soundarya Rajan, Vasantha Krishna, Shobha Shetty, Amrutha Choudhary, and Neha Pathan have also been implicated. These celebrities, alongside influencers like Pandu, Padmavati, and Imran Khan, are now facing legal repercussions.
The crackdown stems from the promotion of online betting apps such as JungleeRummy, A23, Yolo247, FairPlay, JeetWin, among others, which have been linked to illegal activities including money laundering and income tax evasion. The apps have come under increasing scrutiny by authorities due to their involvement in economic offences and their potential to exploit vulnerable individuals, especially youth.
This legal action was initiated following a public campaign by TGRTC MD VC Sajjanar, a senior IPS officer, who has been vocal about the dangers of online betting. Sajjanar has been urging the youth of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh to avoid falling into the trap of illegal betting platforms, which have been associated with a series of tragic incidents, including the loss of lives among young and middle-class people due to gambling-related issues.
Earlier this week, the Punjagutta police also booked cases against a number of other individuals, including Vishnupriya Bhimineni, Harsha Sai, YSRCP leader Shyamala, Rithu Chowdhary, Bandaru Sheshayani, and Supritha, the daughter of actress Surekha Vani, for their alleged involvement in promoting these illegal platforms.
The cases were filed under sections 318(4) of the Bharat Nyaya Sanhita, 3, 3(A), and 4 of the Telangana Gaming Act, and Section 66D of the Information Technology Act, 2008. The complaints against these influencers and celebrities were filed by social activist Vinay Vangala, who has been an advocate for anti-betting campaigns in the region.
Authorities are intensifying efforts to clamp down on illegal online betting, with a focus on curbing the influence of high-profile figures who promote these apps, and are urging the public to stay vigilant against such activities.
