Actors Vijay Devarakonda, Rana Daggubati, Prakash Raj and Manchu Lakshmi were summoned by Enforcement Directorate.
| Photo Credit: THE HINDU
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has summoned several film and television personalities in connection with its investigation into alleged promotion of illegal online betting platforms. Sources from ED confirmed that actor Rana Daggubati has been directed to appear on July 23, followed by Prakash Raj on July 30, Vijay Deverakonda on August 6, and Manchu Lakshmi on August 13.
The summons were issued after the ED registered an Enforcement Case Information Report (ECIR) earlier this month under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), naming 29 individuals, including actors, TV personalities, YouTubers, and influencers. The probe follows five FIRs lodged in Panjagutta, Miyapur, Cyberabad, Suryapet, and Visakhapatnam for suspected violations of the Public Gambling Act, 1867.
The ED suspects that celebrities promoted betting platforms such as Junglee Rummy, A23, JeetWin, Parimatch, and Lotus365, which allegedly routed large sums of money.
The list of those named in the ECIR includes actors Praneetha, Nidhi Agarwal, and television and media pesonalities such as Ananya Nagella, Siri Hanumanthu, Sreemukhi, Varshini Sounderajan, Vasanthi Krishnan, Shoba Shetty among others.
The ED believes that some of the endorsements appeared in the form of entertainment or charitable content but were in fact targeted promotions for unregulated gambling. One complainant alleged a loss of over ₹3 crore after responding to a YouTube endorsement.
Several of those named in the ECIR have denied any involvement, claiming they terminated their contracts after learning about the platforms’ legal ambiguities. The ED, however, is examining whether these campaigns were part of a coordinated push to attract users to unauthorised betting sites. More summons are expected in the coming days as the investigation continues.
Published – July 21, 2025 06:13 pm IST
