“His endorsement was strictly confined to regions and territories where online skill-based games are legally permitted. It has been mentioned explicitly that the A23 platform involves skill rather than chance, making it legally permis- sible.” — Vijay’s team
Vijay Deverakonda, Rana daggubati and Niddhi Agarwal in the frame. (Image/X)
Tollywood has come back on the radar of Telangana police. Months after Pushpa star Allu Arjun had a brush with the law following the deadly stampede, a host of actors are now in the dock for promoting online betting. The Miyapur police registered an FIR on Wednesday, naming Rana Daggubati, Vijay Deverakonda, Prakash Raj, Lakshmi Manchu, Praneetha, Nidhi Agarwal, and 19 social media influencers. The influencers who have been booked are: Ananya, Sreemukhi, Siri Hanumanthu, Shyamala, Varshini, Shobha, Neha, Pandu, Padmavathi, Imran Khan, Vishnu Priya, Harsha Sai, Sunny Yadav, and Ritu. The FIR was based on a petition filed by Phanindra Sarma, a 32-year-old businessman.
“The complainant has stated that there are a lot of betting apps which are running in the state, and youngsters are losing their money by using them,” Cyberabad Police Commissioner Avinash Mohanty said.
Speaking to Hyderabad Chronicle, Mohanty said they will start the investigation by first checking the number of apps that are run- ning in the state. “Then we have to see whether people had access to the apps. Telangana prohibits online betting, but the country as a whole does not. Therefore, we must investigate how they gained access,” he stated. Asked about the role of celebrities and influencers, the Cyberabad police com- missioner said it’s a matter of probe as to which apps they have promoted and where they promoted them. “We will go into detail as per the evidence, which is the beginning of the investigation, he said.
No uniform law
Under the Constitution of India, the power to regulate betting and gambling lies with the state government (Entry 34 of List II of the Seventh Schedule), which in Telangana is covered under the Telangana Gaming Act, 1974. Andhra Pradesh, Sikkim, Maharashtra, and other states formulate similar laws that specifically define what is permissible and what is not. “These state laws are used, along with various central legislation, like the IT Act and the Indian Contract Act, to help regulate betting; how- ever, it would be right to say that the law gov- erning online betting lacks uniformity. In cases of online betting, the forum where the alleged offence is happening is the internet. In such cases, the applicable law is deter- mined on the basis of various factors, i.e., where the act was committed, where the alleged offender is from, who is moderating the channel, etc. So it is not difficult to escape, considering there is no uniform law governing these kinds of matters,” says Shraddha Gupta, Advocate (The Law Chambers).
( Source : Deccan Chronicle )
Next Story