Lakshmi Manchu Questioned In Illegal Betting App Case After Vijay Devarakonda, Rana Daggubati
Actress Manchu Lakshmi appeared before the ED for questioning about promoting illegal betting apps. Actors Prakash Raj, Vijay Deverakonda, and Rana Daggubati were also questioned.
Actress Manchu Lakshmi appeared before the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Wednesday for questioning related to the promotion of illegal betting apps. The ED had recently summoned her as part of an ongoing investigation into alleged money laundering linked to these apps. During the session, officials questioned her about the payments and commissions she reportedly received from endorsing such platforms.
Manchu Lakshmi is not the only celebrity under scrutiny; actors Prakash Raj, Vijay Deverakonda, and Rana Daggubati have also been questioned in connection with the case. Prakash Raj revealed he promoted a betting app back in 2016 but did not accept any payment and later distanced himself from it on moral grounds. Vijay Deverakonda maintained that he endorsed a legal gaming app, not a betting platform, and similarly declined payment due to ethical concerns. Rana Daggubati was also questioned regarding his earnings from promoting a betting brand.
The ED's probe includes 29 individuals, such as actors and social media influencers, suspected of endorsing illegal betting apps on digital platforms. The agency is investigating the financial transactions and online trails tied to these endorsements to uncover the extent of the operation.
Last week, actor Vijay Deverakonda, who is basking in the success of his latest film Kingdom, was summoned by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) as part of the investigation. Officials at the ED's Basheerbagh office in Hyderabad questioned him over promotional contracts with betting apps and the payments tied to those deals.
This appearance followed actor Prakash Raj's five-hour session with the ED on July 30. According to Prakash Raj, he did one ad for a gaming app back in 2016 but refused payment. 'I did not take any payment, as my conscience did not allow me to take it," he told the officials during the session. I did only one advertisement for a gaming app, but later realised that I should not have done it."
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