Prakash Raj appears before ED in Hyderabad in online betting probe

Actor Prakash Raj on Wednesday appeared before the ED officials here for questioning in a money laundering case linked to illegal online betting and gambling by certain platforms.

The actor, popular in Telugu, Kannada and other South Indian films, appeared before officials of the probe agency at its zonal office here.

Raj, 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.

"I gave them information that I had not received any money (for the promotion). Because I did not want to take any money for that. They (ED officials) have taken all the details," he told reporters.

Asked if the investigation is politically motivated, he replied in the negative.

"Officers are doing their job. As a citizen, I am supposed to cooperate and answer their questions. There is no witch-hunting or political motivation in this," he said.

Raj added that he has not been asked to appear again for questioning.

Besides Raj, the ED had also summoned actors Rana Daggubati, Vijay Deverakonda and Lakshmi Manchu for questioning in the case.

The agency asked Daggubati (40) to appear before the zonal office here on July 23, Raj (60) on July 30, Deverakonda (36) on August 6 and Lakshmi (47) on August 13.

The actors had "endorsed" online betting apps allegedly involved in generating "illicit" funds, official sources had said.

However, the ED gave a fresh date of August 11 to actor Daggubati after he failed to appear on July 23, seeking deferment of the summons.

The ED had taken cognisance of as many as five state police FIRs to register its case against these actors and a number of other celebrities and social media influencers.

These individuals are suspected to have "endorsed" online betting apps like Junglee Rummy, JeetWin, Lotus365, etc, for celebrity or endorsement fee, ED sources had said.

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.