Renowned actors Rana Daggubati, Prakash Raj, Vijay Devarakonda and Manchu Lakshmi are among 25 celebrities who face a police case in Telangana for allegedly promoting illegal betting apps. The FIR has been filed after a businessman, Phanindra Sarma, filed a complaint.

The celebrities and influencers named in the FIR also include Praneetha, Nidhi Agarwal, Ananya Nagalla, Siri Hanumanthu, Sreemukhi, Varshini Sounderajan, Vasanthi Krishnan, Shoba Shetty, Amrutha Chowdary, Nayani Pavani, Neha Pathan, Pandu, Padhmavathi, Imran Khan, Vishnu Priya, Harsha Sai, Sunny Yadav, Shyamala, Tasty Teja, and Bandaru Sheshayani Supritha.

The FIR says these platforms promote their apps and websites through social media advertisements with the help of celebrities and influencers. “Thousands of lakhs of rupees are involved in these illegal platforms and it is also leading many families into distress, especially that of middle-class and lower middle-class,” it adds.