Rana Daggubati, Vijay Deverakonda, Prakash Raj among 25 booked for promoting betting apps in Telangana

Speaking to indianexpress.com, Avinash Mohanty, Commissioner of Police, said, “This is just the beginning of that investigation. We will see what are these apps, who are the people involved, what is the source of these apps, and other aspects. Based on the merit of the case and evidence available, we will go forward.”

The police filed the FIR under Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita sections 318(4) [cheating], and 112 (petty organised crime), read with 49 (abetment); Telangana State Gaming Act (TSGA) sections 3, 3(A) and 4 (common gaming house); and Information Technology (IT) Act Section 66(D) (cheating by personation using a computer resource).

The FIR stated, “These platforms are encouraging public, especially people in dire need of money, to invest their hard-earned and family money into those apps/websites and slowly get addicted to them, leading to total financial collapse.”

Listing several betting apps, the FIR further said, “All the above-referred betting applications are in direct violation of the gambling laws and regulations, especially, the Public Gambling Act of 1867, causing harm to individuals and society by encouraging this addictive easy money-making mechanism, leading to financial distress.”

According to the complainant, thousands of lakhs of rupees are involved in these platforms, leading many families into distress, especially from the middle and lower middle classes.

“The above-referred apps and individuals are only the tip of the iceberg. There are many more individuals promoting gambling, betting and casino apps/websites which are targeted towards luring young adults and the general public to make easy money and eventually lead them into complete financial breakdown. These platforms are actively promoting their apps/websites through social media advertisements with the help of celebrities and influencers, thereby reaching the target audience automatically without even the users actually search for it, which further exacerbates the problem,” the complainant said.