Vijay Deverakonda questioned over promotions of online betting platforms

Actor Vijay Deverakonda on Tuesday appeared before the Telangana Crime Investigation Department (CID) for questioning in connection with the ongoing probe into the alleged promotion of unauthorised online betting platforms.

Deverakonda arrived at the CID office in Hyderabad following summons issued as part of the state government’s crackdown on illegal betting activities. The actor was questioned by officials of the Special Investigation Team (SIT), constituted under the supervision of the Additional Director General of Police, CID.

The SIT is currently probing multiple cases registered against organisers and promoters of online betting applications. These apps allegedly lured users, including youngsters, into making “easy money,” which police say often resulted in severe financial and psychological distress, and in some cases, suicides.

Earlier this year, cases were booked under various provisions of the Telangana State Gaming Act, 2017, the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), and the IT Act against the operators, film personalities, and social media influencers who promoted such platforms.

Deverakonda, who had previously appeared before the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in August in a related money laundering case, had clarified that he was only endorsing a gaming app. “There is no connection between gaming apps and betting apps,” he had said at the time.

Meanwhile, actor Prakash Raj has also been summoned by the CID in connection with the same probe and is likely to appear soon, officials said.

Deverakonda, a Hyderabad-born actor, made his debut with the 2011 Telugu film Nuvvila and rose to fame with the 2017 blockbuster Arjun Reddy.

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(With inputs from PTI)