ED summons Rana Daggubati, Prakash Raj, Vijay Deverakonda

Hyderabad: The Enforcement Directorate has summoned actors Rana Daggubati, Prakash Raj, Vijay Deverakonda and Lakshmi Manchu for questioning in a money laundering case linked to illegal online betting and gambling by certain platforms, official sources said on Monday, PTI reported.

The federal probe agency has asked Daggubati (40) to appear before its zonal office in Hyderabad on July 23. Raj (60) has been summoned on July 30, Deverakonda (36) on August 6, and Lakshmi (47) on August 13, the sources said, adding they had "endorsed" online betting apps allegedly involved in generating "illicit" funds.

Once they appear, the agency will record their statements under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), they said.

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has taken cognisance of as many as five state police FIRs to register its case against these actors and a number of other celebrities and social media influencers.

These individuals are suspected to have "endorsed" online betting apps like Junglee Rummy, JeetWin, Lotus365, etc, for a celebrity or endorsement fee, according to ED sources.

These platforms are alleged to have generated "illicit" funds through illegal betting and gambling, worth crores of rupees, the sources said.

Some of these "well-known" persons, the sources said, have earlier stated that they did not know the exact functioning of the apps and products dished out by them and claimed that they did not associate themselves with these platforms for any wrongdoing or illegal activity like betting.