The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has filed a money laundering case to look into the role of more than 25 celebrities, including actors like Vijay Deverakonda, Rana Daggubati and Prakash Raj, apart from some social media influencers and YouTubers in Telangana as part of a money laundering probe against certain online betting platforms, official sources said on Thursday.

29 celebrities booked by ED

These outlets are alleged to have generated "illicit" funds worth crores of rupees through illegal betting and gambling, the sources said. The federal probe agency has taken cognisance of as many as five state police FIRs to book its case under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), they said.

About 29 celebrities, including Deverakonda, Daggubati, Manchu Lakshmi, Raj, Nidhi Agarwal, Pranitha Subhash, Ananya Nagalla, TV host Srimukhi apart from local social media influencers and YouTubers have been booked in the ED case. These celebrities are suspected to have "endorsed" online betting apps like Junglee Rummy, JeetWin, Lotus365 etc. in lieu of getting celebrity or endorsement fee, the sources said.