Vijay Deverakonda, Rana Daggubati Among 29 Booked by ED in Betting App Scam

Vijay Deverakonda, Rana Daggubati Among 29 Booked by ED in Online Betting Scam.

Actors Vijay Deverakonda and Rana Daggubati are among 29 celebrities booked by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in connection with an illegal betting app scam, officials confirmed on Thursday. The agency has initiated action under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), based on an FIR filed by the Cyberabad Police in Hyderabad.

Case Origin and Allegations
The case stems from a complaint filed in March by Hyderabad-based businessman Phanindra Sarma, who alleged that a number of public figures had promoted illegal betting apps on social media. These endorsements, according to the complaint, lured financially vulnerable individuals — particularly from middle and lower-income families — into betting and incurring heavy financial losses.

The FIR claims that several celebrities accepted payments from these platforms in exchange for promotional content, thereby encouraging unlawful gambling practices. The ED has since registered an Enforcement Case Information Report (ECIR) and is now investigating the suspected money trail linked to these promotions.

Celebrities and Influencers Under Scrutiny
Alongside Deverakonda and Daggubati, the ED’s list includes actors Prakash Raj, Manchu Lakshmi, Nidhhi Agerwal, Ananya Nagalla, Sreemukhi, and digital influencers such as Tasty Teja, Siri Hanumanth, and Harsha Sai. Television personalities and YouTubers have also been named.

The complete list of 29 individuals includes:

Rana Daggubati

Vijay Deverakonda

Prakash Raj

Manchu Lakshmi

Pranitha Subhash

Nidhhi Agerwal

Ananya Nagalla

Siri Hanumanth

Sreemukhi

Varshini Sounderajan

Vasanthi Krishnan

Shobha Shetty

Amrutha Chowdhary

Nayani Pavani

Neha Pathan

Pandu

Padmavati

Imran Khan

Vishnu Priya

Harsha Sai

Bhaiyya Sunny Yadav

Shyamala

Tasty Teja

Reethu Chowdhary

Bandaru Seshayani Supreetha

Kiran Goud

Ajay (influencer)

Sunny (influencer)

Sudheer (influencer), along with YouTube channel ‘Local Boy Nani’

The ED is also looking into the operators and financial backers of these betting platforms, whose identities are under further investigation.

Wider Implications
This case echoes similar enforcement action taken in the high-profile Mahadev betting app scam, in which several celebrities were summoned for questioning regarding paid promotions.

Officials have stated that notices will soon be sent to all 29 individuals named in the FIR. The ED is expected to trace payment routes, digital contracts, and promotional materials as part of its probe into money laundering and financial inducement for illegal activities.