The Telangana police have expanded the scope of the case related to the betting apps by including the names of managements of 19 websites and apps that are organising the games.
The Miyapur police, who recently booked 25 film actors and social media influencers for promoting their apps, have filed a memo a local court at Kukatpally here on Monday, praying for adding their names in the first information report (FIR) filed last week.
A case had been booked under Sections 318(4), 112 read with 49 of Bharatiya Nyaya Samhita, Sec 3, 3(A), 4 of Telangana State Gaming Act and Sec. 66 (D) of the IT Act last week against film actors Daggubati Rana, Vijay Devarakonda, Prakash Raj and several social media influencers for allegedly promoting the illegal betting apps.
Prakash Raj and Devarakonda issued statements, denying any active promotional engagements with any of the apps or websites.
The police were acting on a complaint that alleged that some illegal betting apps and casino applications lured the youth and general public into playing the games enticing them with opportunities to make easy money and leading them into severe financial losses.
Huge sums of money
“These applications are promoted by the celebrities and social media influencers through social media and pop-up advertisements by accepting huge sums of money as commission and remuneration,” the memo said, stating that the complainant also mentioned the involvement of the managements of illegal betting, gaming applications and/or websites. “They are primarily responsible for the commission of the offence in violation the gambling laws, regulations, and Telangana Gaming Act, 2017,” the memo said.
The list includes the managements of Jungleerummy.com, www.yolo247.com, fairplay.live, JeetWin, Vlbook.co, Taj77, Vvbbok.co, Dhanibook365, mama247.co, telugu365.in, www.yes365 and vvbook.co.
These websites and apps faced the same sections that are being faced by the 25 accused in the original FIR.