Rana Daggubati quizzed by ED in betting App promotion case

HYDERABAD/NEW DELHI: Actor Rana Daggubati was quizzed by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) for almost four hours on Monday in relation to an ongoing case of investigation into the alleged promotion of illegal online betting Apps.

The interrogation session was conducted at the ED’s regional office in Basheerbagh, Hyderabad, as officials wished to get clarity regarding the actor’s connection to the subject gaming firm. Sources reveal that the agency went through his endorsement contracts and resultant financial deals during the interrogation session.

Rana departed from the premises at around 3 pm without speaking to the media.

He is the third Tollywood star to visit the central agency in this investigation. Earlier, actors Vijay Deverakonda and Prakash Raj were questioned on August 6 and July 30, respectively.

Actress Manchu Lakshmi has also been asked to appear and is likely to do so on August 13.

The summons issued to these public figures are a part of a wider probe into an investigation launched following the ED filing an Enforcement Case Information Report (ECIR) against 29 persons — comprising actors, influencers, and creators — on July 10.

The case is being pursued under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) based on various FIRs filed in Telangana and Andhra Pradesh, all relating to the alleged promotion of unregulated online betting websites.

Rana was initially served a notice to appear on July 23 but had sought a new date due to film-related commitments.

Vijay Deverakonda, after being questioned, asserted that the gaming platform he had endorsed was a lawful skill-based App and said all his financial transactions were clear and in consonance with the law.

Veteran actor Prakash Raj, who was questioned by the agency on July 30, is said to have informed investigators that he had never received any money for a promotional commercial he had featured in in 2016 that he later regretted.

All four celebrities, including Rana, have asserted that their endorsements

were only for government-sanctioned, skill-based online games and not for illegal betting sites.

The ED, however, is still investigating if these endorsements indirectly validated apps running against the Public Gambling Act, 1867.

With the investigation going deeper, more celebrities will be interrogated over the next couple of weeks.