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Rana Daggubati appears before ED in online betting and gambling probe
ED had last month summoned four actors - Prakash Raj, Vijay Deverakonda, Rana Daggubati, and Lakshmi Manchu - for questioning on separate dates at its zonal office.
Actor Rana Daggubati
Actor Rana Daggubati on Monday appeared before the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in Hyderabad in connection with an ongoing money laundering investigation into illegal online betting and gambling platforms, PTI reported.
The federal agency had last month summoned four actors - Prakash Raj, Vijay Deverakonda, Rana Daggubati, and Lakshmi Manchu - for questioning on separate dates at its zonal office. Raj and Deverakonda have already recorded their statements.
According to official sources, the actors allegedly endorsed online betting apps that are under investigation for generating illicit funds. The ED is recording their statements under provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering (PMLA).
The probe stems from five separate state police FIRs, which the ED took cognisance of before registering its own case.
Officials suspect that several celebrities and social media influencers received fees for promoting these platforms, which are accused of laundering crores of rupees through illegal betting and gambling activities.
Deverakonda, in a recent statement, maintained that he had endorsed a gaming app, adding that such platforms are licensed, government-recognised businesses, and are entirely legal, the report added.
Lok Sabha clears sports governance, anti-doping Bills amid opposition protests
The bills, moved by Union Sports Minister Mansukh Mandaviya, aim to overhaul the governance of sports bodies in India and strengthen the country’s anti-doping framework.