The Telangana Police have filed an FIR naming 25 people, including prominent actors like Rana Daggubati, Vijay Deverakonda, Prakash Raj, and Manchu Lakshmi, and several social media influencers, in alleged promotion of illegal betting apps.

The accused were allegedly promoting illegal betting apps through pop-up ads, social media handles, and promotional videos. Prakash Raj, in a video, confessed to have shot an ad for a betting app eight years ago but had discontinued it since then.

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The FIR was filed at the Miyapur police station under the Cyberabad Police Commissionerate following a complaint by a resident, Phanindra Sharma. The FIR was filed under various relevant sections of the BNS, Telangana Gaming Act, and Information Technology Act.

Sharma had complained to the police that several youths from his neighbourhood were investing in online betting and gambling lured by the ads of celebrities and social media influencers. They have also lost a substantial amount due to online gambling leading to financial ruin

Prakash Raj admitted through the video message that he had done an ad for a betting app in 2016 but had not renewed his contract thereafter and had even sent a notice when the ad was used after the contract expired. “Immediately after they wanted to renew it, I said no. My conscience does not accept it. I don’t want to continue. This happened 8-9 years back and since then I have not done any ad that promotes online gambling,” he said.

Meanwhile, an actress and social media influencer, Vishnu Priya, appeared at the Panjagutta police station for questioning in connection with betting apps. On March 16, the Cyberabad Police booked YouTuber Harsha Sai for promoting the app. Two more YouTubers, one from Visakhapatnam and another from Hyderabad, were also booked for promoting these apps.

The crackdown on those promoting betting apps by the Telangana Police began after the issue was raised by IPS officer VC Sajjanar who is currently posted as managing director of the state-owned Regional Transport Corporation (RTC). The IPS officer has begun a social media campaign against the online betting apps and their promoters.

A few days ago, Sajjanar said, “I’m not just up against selective individuals – we, as a society, are battling an entire ecosystem of social media influencers who thrive on promoting betting apps. Whether they have millions of followers or just a few thousand, anyone endorsing these destructive platforms is not just misleading people but actively ruining lives.