Casino organizer Chikoti Praveen has been booked by police in Telangana for taking out a rally without permission in Gajwel (Siddipet district) on Tuesday following a clash between two groups a day before. Praveen, along with some other individuals, rallied to the Shivaji statue in the town, garlanded it and poured milk over it.
According to reports, the clash took place on Monday night after a person allegedly urinated near the Shivaji statue in concern. The individual was beaten up by a local group and handed over to the police. Another group in support of the person who was beaten up clashed with the local group.
The situation was already tense when Praveen visited the town which is the Assembly constituency of Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao. Siddipet Police Commissioner, N Swetha said that 11 arrests have been made as of now. Furthermore, the police are keeping an eye on social media for any forms of rumours, reported The Siasat Daily.
Praveen is already under investigation by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) for possible Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA) violations. He is infamous for organizing underground casinos and his most recent rundown with ED was after the Thailand police arrested him and 80+ other individuals during a raid at a Pattaya hotel. Praveen claimed that he had visited as a patron based on a suggestion from a friend.
“I went to Thailand as a player. I am not the organizer. Thai nationals Sitranan Kaewlor and Dev arranged the trip and provided a permission letter claiming to have a license for poker play,” he said in a statement at the time.
A local court in Thailand granted bail and fined him and others Rs 10,000 each and deported them to India. He was served with a summon by ED after his arrival. Praveen has also come under ED’s radar for using a luxury car which cost around Rs 2.8 crore. Praveen claimed that the Range Rover vehicle is registered under his friend’s name, and the latter is just letting him use it for the time.