Behave Yourself: Lakshmi Manchu Snaps At Reporters As Actress Appears Before ED In Online Betting Scam Case | Watch

Illegal betting apps controversy: Lakshmi Manchu appeared before the Enforcement Directorate(ED) on Wednesday, August 13, in Hyderabad after being summoned for alleged promotion of illegal online gambling platforms.

On March 20, an FIR was lodged against 25 celebrities, including Rana Daggubati, Prakash Raj, Lakshmi Manchu and Vijay Deverakonda, over the betting app controversy.

Lakshmi Manchu seemed visibly irked by the media while she appeared before ED

When Lakshmi Manchu arrived at the ED office, she looked irked by how close the reporters stood, even after a team member asked them to keep their distance.

In a video shared by news agency ANI on X(formerly Twitter), Lakshmi was seen stepping out of her car to enter the ED office. The moment she got out, several photographers surrounded her, taking pictures and asking questions. She snapped at them, saying, “Behave yourselves!”

A few days earlier, Vijay Deverakonda had also appeared before the Enforcement Directorate.

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Names of the celebrities involved in the betting app controversy?

The list of accused celebrities and influencers includes Rana Daggubati, Prakash Raj, Manchu Lakshmi, Vijay Deverakonda, Praneetha, Nidhi Agarwal, Ananya Nagalla, Siri Hanumanthu, Sreemukhi, Varshini Sounderajan, Vasanthi Krishnan, Shoba Shetty, Amrutha Chowdary, Nayani Pavani, Neha Pathan, Pandu, Padhmavathi, Imran Khan, Vishnu Priya, Harsha Sai, Sunny Yadav, Shyamala, Tasty Teja, and Bandaru Sheshayani Supritha.

What is the illegal betting app controversy?

As per reports, businessman Phanindra Sarma filed the complaint at the Miyapur Police Station in Hyderabad on March 19, 2025, alleging that these celebrities promoted illegal betting apps via their social media channels. In the complaint, Sarma stated that these promotions are harmful and claimed the gambling apps are illegal, violating the Public Gambling Act of 1867.

Sarma mentioned that, during conversations with young men in his community, he discovered many had been influenced by these promotions and invested money, risking major losses. The 32-year-old himself considered investing but decided against it after his family warned him about the potential financial risks.

Authorities registered the case under sections 318(4) and 112 read with 49 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), sections 3, 3(A), and 4 of the Telangana Gaming Act, and section 66(D) of the Information Technology Act.