Who is Chikoti Praveen? The Indian high-profile gambler busted in Thailand

Chikoti Praveen, a notorious name in India for his involvement in gambling and casinos, was caught by the Thailand police on Monday. Police raided the Asia Pattaya Hotel in Bang Lamung district in the wee hours on May 1. Praveen was one of the 83 Indian tourists caught during the raid. 

Soon after his arrest, a video started making rounds on the internet in which he claimed he was not involved in gambling and was arrested and penalised just because of his presence in the hotel at the time of raids. 

Speaking to reporters after completing legal procedures, Praveen claimed there was false propaganda being purportedly run against him. 

Though he and his associates were later released after Monday’s arrest, Praveen again caught the headlines for his eccentric personality. 

In India, Praveen came into the limelight following a raid conducted by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on his residence on 29 July, 2022, on suspicion of his involvement in hawala money transactions. 

Chikoti Praveen: Animal lover, trekker, and gambler 

Praveen’s Instagram profile describes him as an ‘Animal and nature lover; love to trek in Western Ghats, part of Big Daddy Casino, Goa; luv to gamble.’

The high-profile gambler, Chikoti Praveen is from the Saidabad area in the old city of Hyderabad. People in the city have known him as a small-time activist of a national party. He was also involved in his father’s petty business of rice dealerships and ceramic tiles. 

Some unconfirmed reports have also said that at one point in time, Praveen had also made an attempt to enter the film industry to earn some quick fortune, He had even produced a small-budget Telugu movie, which bombed at the box office. 

Soon after this, he left the movie business but made some good contact in the industry. 

It is not known exactly when he got into the casino business but, he maintained good relations with all political parties and the local leaders, who used to make a beeline to his residence. It is believed that he owns a complete floor of the Big Daddy casino in Goa and is regularly visited by VIPs and politicians at his flat in Saidabad. 

As claimed by Praveen on social media, he had developed a craze for exotic and rare birds and animals. When the officials of the forest department raided his farmhouse at Saireddygudem village of Kandukur block near Kadthal in Ranga Reddy district, about 50 km from Hyderabad, they were surprised to find a sort of “mini zoo” there.

When Praveen partied with politicians and celebs

Ten years ago, Praveen organised a lavish birthday party for his daughter in Shamshabad that was reportedly attended by many high-profile film celebrities, VIPs and politicians. 

On his own 45th birthday, which was held at Sama Saraswati Gardens on July 13 last year, he was seen in a procession in an open-top jeep in a video circulated all over the internet. In the video, he was surrounded by a group of bouncers in black uniforms, his friends and fans bursting crackers, showering petals and felicitating him with a huge garland. 

In 2022, Praveen was questioned by ED regarding his casino business, acquisition of rare species of wild animals and hawala money transactions. So far, the ED authorities have not registered any case against him as they haven’t found any concrete evidence against him. 

(with inputs from agencies)

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