FIR against Rana Daggubati-Vijay Deverakonda for promoting illegal betting apps
What's the story
A First Information Report (FIR) has been filed against 25 celebrities and influencers, including actors Rana Daggubati, Vijay Deverakonda, Prakash Raj, and Lakshmi Manchu for allegedly promoting illegal betting and gambling apps on their social media handles.
The FIR was registered at Hyderabad's Miyapur Police Station on the basis of a complaint by businessman Phanindra Sarma.
He alleged that these celebrities were paid hefty amounts to promote various betting platforms, duping many people who invested their money in these apps.
Impact
Complaint highlights financial harm caused by gambling apps
The complaint filed by Sarma on Wednesday, highlighted the monetary loss these apps are inflicting, especially on lower and middle-class families.
He said that these platforms entice people with the illusion of easy money, making them invest huge amounts of their hard-earned money, only to leave them bankrupt.
Sarma himself was almost convinced to invest in one of these platforms but stopped after his family warned him about the possible financial risks.
Charges
Legal action taken against accused celebrities
The Telangana Police have booked the accused under various sections of the TS Gaming Act and the IT Act, including Section 66(D) of the Information Technology Act, for cheating and identity theft.
The FIR also includes sections related to the promotion of illicit betting activities.
Officer G Ramesh Naidu is leading the investigation.
"This investigation underscores our commitment to protecting the public from harmful gambling and betting platforms that exploit individuals for financial gain," Inspector K Kranthi Kumar told media.
Accused list
Celebrities named in the FIR
Along with those mentioned above, the FIR also lists several celebrities/influencers who promoted illegal gambling apps.
This includes Nidhhi Agerwal, Praneetha, Ananya Nagella, Siri Hanumanthu, Sreemukhi, Neha Pathan, Pandu, Padhmavathi, Imran Khan, Vishnu Priya, and Varshini Sounderajan, among many others.
The petition notes that these apps/platforms are wreaking financial havoc on a massive scale, and lower and middle-class families get influenced further upon seeing famous faces promoting such apps.
Twitter Post
Twitter Post
Telangana police have filed an FIR against 25 celebrities and influencers, including Rana Daggubati, Prakash Raj, Vijay Devarakonda, and Manchu Lakshmi, for allegedly promoting illegal betting apps. The FIR was registered at the Miyapur police station in Hyderabad, based on a…
— ANI (@ANI) March 20, 2025
Reaction
Raj's response to the FIR
Raj, one of the accused, replied to the FIR saying he had featured in an advertisement for such a platform "way back in 2015."
"We opted out after a year," he said, reported NDTV, adding he was trying to get detailed information about the case.
The case against these top celebrities in Telugu cinema will likely cause a stir.
Apology
Telugu TV personalities issued public apologies amid scrutiny
Amid the ongoing investigation, a number of Telugu TV personalities such as Surekha Vani, Supritha, Ritu Chaudhary, and Getup Srinu have apologized for promoting betting platforms in the past. They said they didn't know the repercussions then.
Tollywood aside, similar complaints have emerged against top Bollywood stars, too.
Actors like Ranbir Kapoor, Sanjay Dutt, and Shraddha Kapoor have been brought in for questioning for their part in other betting scams.