Actor Vijay Deverakonda Questioned, Says Even ED Officials Did Not Why
After four hours of questioning by the Enforcement Directorate in Hyderabad in the online betting case today, Tollywood actor Vijay Deverakonda said that even those who had questioned him did not know why his name had come up in the case. He is among 29 people being questioned by the ED, that has filed ECIRs based on FIRs filed by the Telangana police.
The actor sought to make a distinction between illegal betting apps that was being investigated and gaming apps that are legal.
"The gaming apps are legal, they have a GST, TDS, licence and permissions, " he said, adding, "They sought to know the company name, financial transactions, bank account numbers, all of which I have shared."
The actor pointed out that gaming apps are legal and in fact support many like Indian cricket team, women's cricket, kabaddi, volleyball and so on.
"The A23 app that I promoted is skill-based, that the Supreme Court has also said is legal. If you open app in Telangana, it will deny access," he explained, adding that he had only promoted it only in regions where it was legal and allowed.
While the Telangana police is looking at cheating because of celebrity endorsement, the ED is looking at violations of PMLA, evasion of tax in promotion and sponsorship deals, digital ad revenue from online promotions and so on.
The ED's probe is based on an Enforcement Case Information Report or ECIR filed against 29 celebrities, including actors, TV personalities, and social media influencers.
The case stems from multiple First Information Reports filed by the Telangana Police, which allege that these public figures promoted betting apps in violation of the law. The ED suspects that these endorsements were part of a scheme to launder large sums of money generated through illegal gambling.
Vijay Deverakonda's team had earlier issued a clarification after his name surfaced in the case. They clarified that Vijay Deverakonda's association was strictly limited to endorsing a "skill-based gaming platform" and was not for any illegal betting or gambling apps.
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