The countdown to legal action against Tollywood stars for promoting online betting has begun. Days after the Cyberabad police registered an FIR naming 25 individuals, including Tollywood stars and influencers, the investigators are all set to issue summons to them. The move comes after none other than CM A Revanth Reddy vowed to take strict action against those involved. “There is no place for betting, drugs or gambling-related apps in Telangana. We will take stern action against those promoting these activities,” he said in the Assembly.
Speaking to Hyderabad Chronicle, Cyberabad Police Commissioner Avinash Mohanty said investigation into the matter has begun. “All I can share at this moment is that we are doing a lot of ground work,” he said when asked whether notices are being issued to Tollywood stars to join the investigation. A special team has been formed to probe the matter, who are checking the number of apps which are running in the state. Simultaneously, they are gathering information on whether people had access to those apps and how.
Online betting is banned in Telangana but not across the country. It is learnt that the investigators are trying to find out where and when the advertisements featuring Tollywood stars have been shot and the remuneration they received. It’s unclear why, despite a ban in Telangana, actors went ahead with the ads. Preliminary probe has also revealed that the advertisements (of online betting) have been playing out since last couple of years if not more. “It’s a work in progress. We will proceed (against the accused) based on the evidence,” the Cyberabad police commissioner added. Importantly, the investigators are studying the sensational Mahadev app case, which rocked the erstwhile Chhattisgarh government. Recently, CBI raided the residence of former Chief Minister of Chattisgarh Bhupendra Baghel in connection with the Mahadev case. Some Bollywood stars have been named as accused for promoting Mahadev app.
The investigation into the promotion of online betting apps comes months after Pushpa star Allu Arjun had a brush with the law following the deadly stampede at Sandhya theatre, which led to the death of a woman while her son is in a Coma.
Early this week, the Miyapur police registered an FIR naming Rana Daggubati, Prakash Raj, Vijay Devarakonda, Manchu Lakshmi and Nidhi Agarwal, all by way of pop-up ads, the police said.
The FIR was based on a petition filed by Phanindra Sarma, a businessman, who stated that “there are a lot of betting apps which are running in the state and several youngsters are losing money.”
