Vijay Deverakonda seems for questioning earlier than ED in betting apps case

Actor Vijay Deverakonda appeared earlier than the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Wednesday (August 6) as a part of its ongoing probe into the alleged promotion of unauthorised on-line betting platforms. He arrived on the ED workplace in Basheerbagh, Hyderabad.

Mr. Deverakonda is among the 29 people summoned by the company underneath the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).

Sources within the ED said that his statements can be verified towards out there materials and submissions from others who had been beforehand examined within the case.

The case pertains to promotional content material allegedly masking unregulated playing apps as leisure or charity-related initiatives. The ED believes that some celebrities and influencers have been roped in for paid campaigns that not directly endorsed betting operations, bypassing regulatory norms.

Actor Prakash Raj was the primary to seem earlier than the ED, on July 30. Speaking to the media after his questioning, Mr. Prakash Raj claimed the matter dated again to 2016 and maintained he had not accepted any cash. “Officers are doing their job, and as a citizen, I’m presupposed to cooperate,” he stated, including that there was no political angle to the summons.

While some summoned celebrities have cooperated, others have sought time. Actor Rana Daggubati, initially scheduled to seem on July 23, has requested for a reschedule. Manchu Lakshmi has been directed to seem on August 13.

The investigation is predicated on a number of FIRs filed throughout Telangana and Andhra Pradesh and covers a spread of people, together with actors, YouTubers, and social media personalities. The ED is now making an attempt to find out whether or not the promotions have been remoted or a part of a wider, coordinated operation.