Hyderabad: Actress Nidhhi Agerwal on Friday appeared before the CID office in a case of allegedly promoting online-betting-games. The actress was earlier given a notice to appear for questioning.
In the visuals, she was seen leaving the CID office in Hyderabad.
Meanwhile, on November 15, actor Rana Daggubati called for using the right methods to communicate the “right message” about gaming and gaming apps amid the ongoing investigation against him in the illegal betting case.
While leaving the Special Investigation Team (SIT) office after questioning in connection with the illegal betting app case, Rana Daggubati said, “We are going to use the right methods to deliver the right message about gaming and gaming apps. Legal action will be completed later. But I am here to do whatever is necessary to help spread the message.”
Also read: Anti-Narcotics Cell summons Shraddha Kapoor’s brother Siddhant in Rs 252 crore drugs case
Daggubati had appeared before the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in August after being summoned in the alleged online betting game promotion case.
The ED had issued a summon notice to the actor for July 23, but due to Daggubati’s prior commitments and shooting schedule, the actor sought time to appear at the Hyderabad zonal ED office.
Earlier this year, the Telangana Police had filed a First Information Report (FIR) against 25 celebrities and influencers, including popular personalities like Rana Daggubati, Prakash Raj, Vijay Deverakonda and Manchu Lakshmi, for promoting illegal betting and gambling apps through their social media platforms.
Add Zee News as favorite source
The FIR was lodged at Hyderabad’s Miyapur police station following a petition by 32-year-old businessman PM Phanindra Sarma.
The complaint, filed on March 19 this year, highlights the disturbing trend of celebrities and influencers promoting illegal gambling apps that violate the Public Gambling Act of 1867. Sarma claims that during his interaction with the youth of his community on March 16, he learned that many people were influenced to invest their money in these gambling apps, which were heavily advertised by social media personalities.
According to the complaint, these celebrities are allegedly accepting huge amounts of money to promote various betting platforms, encouraging users to gamble their hard-earned money. Sarma himself was on the verge of investing in one of these platforms, but declined to invest after his family warned him about the potential financial risks.
The police report lists several celebrities and influencers who are accused of promoting illegal gambling apps, including: Rana Daggubati Prakash Raj, Vijay Deverakonda, Manchu Lakshmi, Praneetha, Nidhhi Agerwal, Ananya Nagela, Siri Hanumanthu, Srimukhi, Varshini Soundararajan and many others.
The petition emphasizes that these apps and platforms are causing massive financial loss, especially to lower and middle class families, who are being lured into false promises of earning easy money.
Apps often rely on celebrities to build credibility, allowing vulnerable individuals to invest large amounts of money, only to face financial ruin. Telangana Police have charged the accused under several sections of the TS Gaming Act and IT Act, including Section 66(D) of the Information Technology Act, which deals with fraud and identity theft.
The FIR also includes sections that relate to promoting illegal betting activities, which is now being investigated by officer G Ramesh Naidu. “This investigation underlines our commitment to protect the public from harmful gambling and betting platforms that exploit individuals for financial gain,” said K Kranti Kumar, Inspector of Police, Miyapur police station.