YouTuber Harsha Sai Booked in Hyderabad for Promoting Betting Apps

Hyderabad, March 16: YouTuber Harsha Sai Bandaram has been booked by Cyberabad Police for promoting illegal betting apps, officials said on Sunday.

The police took action after a complaint was filed by a man who lost over ₹13 lakh in online betting. The victim, a restaurant helper, stated that he started following Harsha Sai on Instagram and YouTube in 2022, which influenced him to participate in betting activities.

A case of cheating has been registered against Harsha Sai under Section 318(4) of Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and Section 66-D of the Information Technology Act.

According to the complainant, Harsha Sai shared betting website links on Instagram, claiming that depositing ₹20,000 through these links would earn a 150% bonus. Trusting these claims, the victim invested money but ended up losing ₹13,67,300 in a year.

The victim also joined a Telegram group called "Harsha Sai Tips", where betting advice was provided. He continued to invest large amounts but lost everything. To fund his bets, he used savings, loans from friends, online borrowing apps, and even sold gold assets.

This case is part of an ongoing crackdown on social media influencers promoting betting apps in Telangana and Andhra Pradesh. Previously, cases were registered against YouTubers 'Local Boy Nani' from Visakhapatnam and Bayya Sunny Yadav from Hyderabad for similar activities.

The action comes after TSRTC MD V.C. Sajjanar raised concerns on social media about the increasing number of people losing money due to online betting. The IPS officer urged the public to report influencers promoting such apps and warned about their dangerous impact on society, financial stability, and young lives.