The Telangana Police have taken a significant step by registering a First Information Report (FIR) against 25 actors and influencers, including popular names like Rana Daggubati, Prakash Raj, Vijay Devarakonda, and Lakshmi Manchu, for their alleged involvement in promoting illegal betting applications. The FIR, filed at Miyapur Police Station in Hyderabad on March 19, was based on a petition submitted by 32-year-old businessman Phanindra Sarma.
Among those named in the FIR are actors Pranitha Subhash, Ananya Nagalla, Siri Hanumanth, Sreemukhi, and Varshini Sounderajan, among others. Sarma, in his complaint, stated that during a discussion with young individuals in his community on March 16, he discovered that many had been influenced by the aggressive promotion of gambling apps by social media personalities, leading them to invest their money in such platforms.
The complainant further alleged that these celebrities were receiving substantial payments to endorse betting platforms, which, in turn, encouraged people to gamble away their savings. Sarma also revealed that he himself had almost invested in one such platform but backed out after being warned by his family about the financial risks involved. According to him, these apps are causing severe economic distress, particularly among lower and middle-class families who are drawn in by the illusion of easy money.
Based on his complaint, a case has been registered under multiple sections of the TS Gaming Act and the Information Technology Act, including Section 66(D) of the IT Act, which pertains to cheating and identity theft. The FIR also incorporates provisions addressing the promotion of illegal betting activities.
The involvement of high-profile Telugu film celebrities in such a case is expected to stir controversy, particularly as it follows the recent arrest of actor Allu Arjun by the Telangana Police.
