Prakash Raj appears before Telangana SIT in betting apps case

Hyderabad, Nov 12 (IANS) Actor Prakash Raj on Wednesday appeared before the Special Investigation (SIT) in connection with the ongoing investigation into the alleged promotion of online betting apps.

The SIT officials recorded the statement of the actor at the CID office.

After coming out of the CID office, Prakash Raj told the media that he did a promotion for an app in 2016, thinking that it was a gaming app. He said that after coming to know that it was a betting app, he stopped the promotion. He also recalled that betting was banned in 2017.

"Betting apps are wrong. They are destroying the lives of many youngsters," he said. "Whether we do the ads knowingly or unknowingly, it’s wrong. I am sorry for that," he added.

Actor Vijay Deverakonda had appeared before the SIT on Tuesday. The officials recorded his statement on the remuneration and commissions taken from betting apps.

The Telangana government formed the SIT in March to probe multiple cases involving online betting platforms.

The questioning follows a series of arrests made by SIT in six locations in Punjab, Gujarat, and Rajasthan during the joint operation conducted by SIT in coordination with CID. Eight illegal betting organisers were arrested during the operation.

Prakash Raj and Deverakonda were among 29 celebrities charged with promoting banned betting apps by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in July-August.

The investigation is based on multiple FIRs filed across Telangana and Andhra Pradesh and covers a range of individuals, including actors, YouTubers, and social media personalities.

They were summoned by the agency under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).

After appearing before the ED on July 30, Prakash Raj had stated that the matter dated back to 2016. He claimed that he had not accepted money.

Deverakonda had maintained that he promoted only legal skill-based gaming apps and not unlawful betting platforms.

Actors Rana Daggubati and Manchi Lakshmi had also appeared before the ED.

--IANS

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