The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has summoned actors Rana Daggubati, Prakash Raj, Vijay Deverakonda, and Lakshmi Manchu as part of its ongoing investigation into an alleged illegal betting app racket.

According to official sources, Rana Daggubati is scheduled to appear before the agency on July 23, followed by Prakash Raj on July 30. Vijay Deverakonda and Lakshmi Manchu have been called in on August 6 and August 13, respectively.

This development follows an FIR filed by Cyberabad Police in Hyderabad, which prompted the ED to launch a probe into the financial and digital links of 29 celebrities allegedly connected to online gaming platforms. The agency is reportedly scrutinizing monetary transactions and internet footprints linked to these public figures.

Those named in the case include actors Nidhi Agarwal, Ananya Nagalla, and TV host Srimukhi, among others. The investigation hinges on charges under various sections of the Bharat Nyay Sanhita, the Telangana State Gaming Act, and the IT Act, which pertain to fraud, promoting unlawful gaming, and digital deception.

As per details in the FIR accessed by India Today TV, the celebrities are alleged to have endorsed online gaming platforms—Daggubati and Raj were reportedly linked to Junglee Rummy, Deverakonda to A23, Manchu to Yolo 247, Praneetha to Fairplay, and Agarwal to Jeet Win. These platforms were allegedly promoted via online ads that may have led users toward illegal betting activity.

Prakash Raj, in a statement on social media platform X, clarified that he had endorsed a gaming app in 2016 but terminated the association a year later upon realizing its implications. He stated that he has not been involved with any gaming platforms since.

Similarly, Rana Daggubati explained that his involvement was limited to a skill-based gaming app and ended in 2017. His legal team maintained that the endorsement was restricted to jurisdictions where such platforms are lawful, referencing the Supreme Court's stance that distinguishes skill-based games from gambling.