Indian actor Prakash Raj was questioned by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in Hyderabad on Wednesday for allegedly promoting illegal online gambling applications on social media. This is part of India's financial crime crackdown, targeting an investigation involving 25 public figures in money laundering and illegal gambling promotion.
This action stems from a preliminary information report (FIR) submitted by the Telangana state police in March this year, accusing numerous film stars and social media influencers, including actors Rana Daggubati, Vijay Deverakonda, and Manchu Lakshmi, of advertising gambling apps on social platforms.
The case was initiated by businessman Phanindra Sarma, who discovered that many young people were exposed to and became addicted to gambling due to celebrity endorsements. He himself considered investing in similar platforms but decided against it after family persuasion and realizing the potential harm, subsequently reporting to the police.
The police investigation revealed that these celebrities accepted advertising fees to promote gambling platforms promising high returns, but the operations of these platforms involved fraudulent activities, causing financial losses to users, with victims mostly from low and middle-income groups.
The investigation also implicated major tech companies, with a representative from Google being summoned by the enforcement agency for questioning. The investigation is led by officer G Ramesh Naidu and also names social media influencers such as Praneetha, Nidhi Agarwal, and Ananya Nagella.
The enforcement agency clearly stated that this case reflects the authorities' determination to crack down on the misuse of public figures' influence to mislead young people into participating in illegal gambling. As of now, Prakash Raj has not publicly responded to the allegations.
