Vijay Deverakonda Questioned
The ED is questioning Vijay about his association with betting apps (online gambling) and the payments he received for their promotion. According to sources, the investigation is underway under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) and is based on five FIRs registered in Telangana and Andhra Pradesh.
Prakash Raj Previously Questioned
Vijay is the second actor to appear before the ED in this case. Earlier, on July 30, actor Prakash Raj was questioned for about five hours. Prakash Raj stated that he had advertised a betting app in 2016 but had not received any payment for it. He added that he later realised he shouldn’t have done the advertisement.
Rana Daggubati and Lakshmi Manchu Also Summoned
The ED has summoned actors Rana Daggubati, Prakash Raj, Vijay Deverakonda, and Lakshmi Manchu in this case. Rana was asked to appear on July 23, but he requested a new date. He has now been asked to appear on August 11, and Lakshmi Manchu has been issued a notice to appear before the ED on August 13.
Case Registered Against 29 Celebrities
On July 10, the ED registered a case against 29 celebrities, including actors, influencers, and YouTubers, for promoting illegal betting apps. This action was taken under the violation of the Public Gambling Act, 1867, and on suspicion of money laundering. This list includes names such as Vijay Deverakonda, Rana Daggubati, Prakash Raj, Nidhi Agarwal, Pranitha Subhash, Lakshmi Manchu, Ananya Nagalla, Sri Mukhi, Shymala, Varshaini Soundarajan, Vasant Krishnan, Shobha Shetty, Amrita Chaudhary, Nayani Pavani, Neha Pathan, Pandu, Padmavathi, Harsha Sai, and Bayya Sunny Yadav.
Pre-existing Case
In March 2025, the Cyberabad police registered an FIR against Vijay Deverakonda, Rana Daggubati, Prakash Raj, and others for promoting betting apps. Vijay and Rana had claimed that they had only promoted legally permitted online skill-based games.
Investigation Ongoing
The ED’s investigation is thoroughly examining the financial transactions related to the promotion of betting apps and the suspicion of money laundering. More celebrities are likely to be questioned in the coming days in this case.