The ongoing investigation by the Telangana police into the betting apps controversy has once again sent shockwaves through the Telugu film industry.
The case has created a major stir, with reports of several innocent individuals losing their lives due to financial distress caused by online gambling.
Telangana police have intensified their crackdown on illegal betting apps.
As part of the investigation, cases have been filed against several social media influencers, YouTubers, and celebrities who promoted these platforms.
So far, a total of 11 Telugu celebrities have been booked, including Harsha Sai, Pareshan Boys’ Imran Khan, Testy Teja, Kiran Goud, Vishnupriya, Anchor Shyamala, Ritu Choudhary, Bandaru Sheshayani Supritha, among others.
Police have already questioned Vishnupriya and Ritu Choudhary regarding their involvement.
There are also reports that cases have been filed against prominent film personalities such as Rana Daggubati, Vijay Deverakonda, Manchu Lakshmi, Prakash Raj, Pranitha, Nidhhi Agerwal, Ananya Nagalla, Sreemukhi, Shobha Shetty, and others.
According to the latest buzz on social media, the name of senior Telugu Desam Party MLA and Tollywood actor Nandamuri Balakrishna has also surfaced in connection with the betting app controversy - albeit indirectly.
As is well known, Balakrishna hosts the popular talk show Unstoppable with NBK on the Aha OTT platform.
The show has garnered a massive following and has been a significant success. The latest speculation suggests that a betting app was promoted during one of the episodes.
A man named Rambabu from Nellore reportedly lodged a complaint with the police, claiming he lost ₹80 lakh after downloading a betting app that was allegedly promoted on the Unstoppable with NBK show.
The complaint mentions that during an episode featuring Prabhas as a guest, the app was shown as part of a presentation given by Balakrishna to Prabhas and Gopichand.
However, sources clarified that Balakrishna did not personally promote the app during the episode. Moreover, he serves only as the host of the show and is not involved in its production.
Therefore, it is unlikely that he will be summoned for questioning. Instead, any legal action is expected to be directed toward the show’s organizers.
