Online betting app cases: Actor Vijay Deverakonda questioned by SIT in Telangana

Hyderabad, Nov 11 (PTI) Actor Vijay Deverakonda on Tuesday appeared before the Telangana government’s Special Investigation Team (SIT) here in connection with the cases related to promoting online betting apps, police said.

Deverakonda was questioned by the officials, a senior police official told PTI.

The Telangana government had constituted the SIT under the overall supervision of the Additional Director General of Police, CID, to curb illegal betting activities and for thorough investigation of the online betting app cases.

The SIT took up investigation of four cases which were registered against the organisers of online betting platforms and other similar applications, police earlier said.

Cases were registered against illegal betting apps and promoters in March this year following complaints that the applications lured youth and general public to make easy money and eventually leading them into complete financial and psychological distress, and even suicides.

Managements of the illegal betting apps, few film actors and several social media influencers were booked for allegedly promoting online betting apps through social media platforms under various provisions of the Telangana State Gaming Act, 2017, BNS and IT Act.

Earlier, Deverakonda appeared before the Enforcement Directorate (ED) here in August this year as part of an investigation into a money laundering case linked to illegal online betting and gambling by certain platforms.

He had then said he "was doing an endorsement for a gaming app. There is no connection between gaming apps and betting apps." Deverakonda, the Hyderabad-born actor, debuted with the 2011 Telugu film 'Nuvvila' and shot to fame with the 2017 blockbuster 'Arjun Reddy'. PTI VVK SJR VVK KH