# Nidhhi Agerwal questioned by ED in betting apps case 2026-08-19T11:05:56+00:00 | Governance | Indian Opinion Desk Corroboration: 4 independent outlets (5 source reports) Actress Nidhhi Agerwal appeared before the Enforcement Directorate in Hyderabad on Wednesday for questioning in connection with a money laundering probe linked to the promotion of illegal betting applications. She was seen arriving with police security and wearing a face mask. The ED had summoned her after earlier issuing a notice. The ED is examining allegations that she and other celebrities received payments through hawala channels for promoting betting platforms. The probe stems from an FIR filed by businessman PM Phanindra Sarma at Miyapur police station in March 2024, accusing 25 celebrities and influencers of violating the Public Gambling Act of 1867. 21 celebrities have been booked so far, including Rana Daggubati, Prakash Raj, and Vijay Deverakonda. Agerwal had earlier appeared before the Telangana CID in November. The ED registered an Enforcement Case Information Report under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act in July 2025. The Supreme Court has said it will schedule final hearings on petitions seeking stricter regulation of online and offline betting apps. ## Indian Opinion Analysis The coverage is uniformly straight reporting with no discernible editorial slant across sources. All outlets lead with the basic fact of Agerwal's ED appearance and list the same cast of celebrities and the Miyapur FIR. The only variation is in detail: Hindustan Times and Times of India include her refusal to speak to paparazzi and the Supreme Court hearing mention, while Greatandhra and Siasat mention hawala payments explicitly. The measured takeaway is that this is a standard procedural step in a widening probe that has now touched over two dozen celebrities, and the next concrete milestone is the Supreme Court's final hearing on betting app regulation. ## Coverage Coverage: 5 sources, 5 neutral - siasat.com (neutral report) Straight factual reporting, leads with questioning and hawala mention - timesofindia.indiatimes.com (neutral report) Wire-style reporting, leads with appearance and includes list of celebrities - timesofindia.indiatimes.com (2) (neutral report) Straight factual reporting, detailed breakdown of case timeline - hindustantimes.com (neutral report) Descriptive neutral reporting, includes visual details and SC hearing - greatandhra.com (neutral report) Straight reporting, leads with hawala allegation and questioning This story was synthesised by AI from the 5 sources linked above. Updated: this story now draws on 5 sources. Last updated 2026-08-19T12:32:19+00:00. Tags: Enforcement Directorate, Nidhhi Agerwal, Prakash Raj, Rana Daggubati, Supreme Court, Telangana Police Canonical: https://indianopinion.org/ed-questions-actor-nidhhi-agerwal-in-betting-app-money-laundering-case/ License: Summary and commentary (c) Indian Opinion, reusable with attribution. Facts belong to the linked sources. Cite: https://indianopinion.org/ed-questions-actor-nidhhi-agerwal-in-betting-app-money-laundering-case/#story-in-brief How this brief was made: an AI model read the reports linked above and wrote this summary and analysis, which were published automatically. Published briefs are sampled every hour by an automated quality check; the editor verifies its findings and approves corrections, and corrected briefs carry a dated correction line. Stance labels are editorial classifications of how each outlet framed this story, assigned by the same model, not ratings of the outlets. We do no original reporting. Methodology: https://indianopinion.org/ai-use-policy/