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Actor Nidhhi Agerwal was questioned by the Enforcement Directorate in Hyderabad on August 19, bringing another prominent film industry name into an investigation examining how illegal betting applications were promoted to the public.
Agerwal arrived at the ED office under police security after being summoned by the agency. It was not her first appearance before investigators over the matter. She had previously attended questioning by Hyderabad’s Criminal Investigation Department and had been served notice in connection with the inquiry.
Probe expands to 21 celebrities
The investigation reaches well beyond one celebrity. Authorities have booked 21 actors, television personalities and social media influencers as they examine promotional campaigns that allegedly helped betting and gambling platforms reach large audiences, particularly younger users.
The case can be traced to a complaint lodged by businessman PM Phanindra Sarma on March 19 last year. Telangana police subsequently registered a First Information Report at Miyapur Police Station in Hyderabad.
Sarma’s complaint focused not simply on the existence of the gambling platforms, but on the way they were marketed. He alleged that extensive promotion by celebrities and online influencers encouraged young people in his community to put money into the applications.
Investigators are examining whether those endorsements amounted to promotion of illegal gambling in violation of the Public Gambling Act of 1867.
Film and television personalities named in police case
The police case names a sizeable group of entertainment figures. Apart from Agerwal, those listed include Rana Daggubati, Prakash Raj, Vijay Deverakonda, Manchu Lakshmi, Praneetha, Ananya Nagella, Siri Hanumanthu, Sreemukhi and Varshini Sounderajan, among others.
Being named or questioned in an investigation does not by itself establish criminal liability. The inquiry is examining the circumstances surrounding the endorsements and the alleged promotion of the applications.
Agerwal’s appearance before the ED also shows how a case that began with a local police complaint has developed into a broader enforcement investigation. The focus is now not only on the betting platforms themselves, but on the promotional ecosystem that helped put them in front of potential users.
Betting app regulation reaches Supreme Court
The scrutiny comes as India’s wider approach to betting applications is also before the courts. Earlier in August, the Supreme Court indicated that it would schedule final hearings on petitions seeking tighter regulation of online as well as offline betting apps.
For the celebrities named in the Hyderabad case, investigators are continuing to work through the promotional activity that prompted the original complaint. Agerwal’s questioning on August 19 is the latest step in that process, with the inquiry into the other personalities and alleged endorsements still underway.
Source: thenewsmill.com
