KATHMANDU: In a shocking turn of events, Telangana police have registered an FIR against 25 Tollywood stars and social media influencers like superstar Rana Daggubati, Prakash Raj, Vijay Deverakonda, Manchu Lakshmi, Pranitha Subhash, and Nidhhi Agerwal for endorsing illegal betting apps.

According to news agency NNI, a 32-year-old businessman named Phanindra Sharma filed the complaint at Miyapur Police Station in Hyderabad. The case also includes popular social media influencers such as Ananya, Sreemukhi, Siri Hanumanthu, Shyamala, Varshini, Shobha, Neha, Pandu, Padmavati, Imran Khan, Vishnu Priya, Harsha Sai, Sunny Yadav, Tasty Teja, and Ritu.
The allegations include that these celebrities and influencers consciously promoted betting applications, misleading their followers—mainly the young ones—into gambling. The complaint sheds light on how many people have lost money due to these platforms.

These gambling apps are illegal in India under the country’s gambling laws, i.e., the Public Gambling Act of 1867, as per the FIR. As per the complaint, “This addiction promotes a dangerous ‘get-rich-quick’ mindset, leading to severe financial and social losses.”

The case has created a huge uproar in the Indian entertainment industry, with legal experts now weighing in on whether celebrities have a role in promoting such sites. This emerging legal battle may have serious repercussions for the Tollywood film industry and social media influencers as well!