Prakash Raj appeared before the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in the case relating to alleged promotion of illegal betting apps on Wednesday. He was questioned for 5 hours
Prakash Raj
Actor Prakash Raj on Wednesday appeared before the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in the case relating to alleged promotion of illegal betting apps. The popular actor, who was questioned for about four hours, said he did the assignment with the apps in 2016, but did not take any money for it on moral grounds. He also said he had discontinued promoting the apps.
Prakash Raj says ED did their job
After the questioning, Prakash Raj interacted with the media and said that the officials took details about the advertisement he had done for a betting app in 2016. “They asked me about the contract with the company and when and why I did it. As a department, they have done their job and as a citizen, I discharged my responsibility by coming here and explaining in detail that I did it then and after realising that it was a mistake, I didn’t do it,” he said.
Prakash Raj said he told the ED officials that he did not take any payment as his conscience did not allow him to take it. “They saw the accounts and recorded whatever I had to say,” he said.
The actor said the ED officials have not asked him to come again for questioning. He urged the citizens not to get involved in betting and earn money through hard work.
ED summons celebrities in illegal betting case
The Enforcement Directorate recently summoned actors Rana Daggubati, Prakash Raj, Vijay Deverakonda, and Manchu Lakshmi in the case. Rana Daggubati was directed to appear on July 23, but he sought an alternate date. The ED has asked Vijay Deverakonda to appear on August 6, while Manchu Lakshmi has been directed to appear on August 13.
The four actors were among 29 celebrities booked by the ED on July 10 for allegedly endorsing illegal betting apps.
The agency filed an ECIR against 29 actors, influencers, and YouTubers for allegedly promoting illegal betting platforms, in violation of the Public Gambling Act, 1867.
The probe, under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, is based on five FIRs filed in Telangana and Andhra Pradesh. Film actors Vijay Deverakonda, Rana Daggubati, Prakash Raj, Nidhi Agarwal, Pranitha Subhash and Manchu Lakshmi, and Ananya Nagella are among those who have been booked by the ED.
The names of TV actors, TV hosts and social media influencers like Sreemukhi, Shyamala, Varshini Sounderajan, Vasanthi Krishnan, Shoba Shetty, Amrutha Chowdary, Nayani Pavani, Neha Pathan, Pandu, Padhmavathi, Harsha Sai and Bayya Sunny Yadav also figure in the list.
About the betting app case
These platforms are alleged to have generated "illicit" funds, through illegal betting and gambling, worth crores of rupees, the sources had 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.
(with inputs from agencies)
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