Three Tollywood Actors Sued for Endorsing Chinese Betting App
Three new Tollywood actors are facing legal scrutiny for allegedly promoting illegal betting apps.
LISTEN TO THIS ARTICLE:A Hyderabad-based lawyer has filed a complaint with the Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre, accusing Tollywood actors Balakrishna, Gopichand, and Prabhas of endorsing a Chinese betting app called Fun88.
According to the advocate Rama Rao Immaneni, the actors misled the public by promoting the prohibited app, causing substantial financial losses for many. As per the complaint, the app received promotional support through Balakrishna's popular show, Unstoppable Season 2.
The complaint alleges that Fun88, available on Google Chrome, has scammed millions of individuals by luring them into online gaming, resulting in financial losses funnelled through mule accounts.
Immaneni claims that the app is linked to a prohibited Chinese gaming platform, violating the Telangana Gaming Amendment Act, 2017, and the Digital Media Ethics Code. As such, he urges the authorities to block access to the app and take stringent action against those responsible.
Additionally, the advocate asserts that the actors' promotion of the betting app threatens national security, leading to a demand for legal action under Section 66F(B) of the IT Act and applicable Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) provisions.
To strengthen his case, Immaneni has reportedly provided corroborating evidence, including links and images.
The Tollywood industry has recently been embroiled in controversy surrounding allegations of endorsing illegal online betting platforms. Several actors, including Vijay Deverakonda, Rana Daggubati, and Prakash Raj, have been summoned for questioning in connection with these allegations.
More Regulation News
Crackdown on Illegal Gaming
The lawsuit comes amid an intensified drive by Indian tax authorities to tackle illicit gaming operations. On Saturday, the finance ministry announced that GST intelligence officers have blocked 357 illegal gambling websites and frozen around 2,400 bank accounts linked to them.
Currently, the Directorate General of Goods and Services Tax Intelligence (DGGI) is investigating about 700 offshore online gaming, betting, and gambling companies for alleged tax evasion involving non-compliance with GST registration and payment obligations.
With the IPL season commencing, the government is expected to ramp up its efforts to combat illegal online betting platforms, reduce the flow of unauthorized bets, and minimize the resulting loss of tax revenue.
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