The police on Saturday conducted a special counselling session for 18 individuals who had previously been booked for selling banned lottery tickets in Chittoor Municipal Corporation limits and surrounding villages.Chittoor Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) J. Venkatanarayana counselled the attendees to stay away from illegal activities and to reform and adopt lawful means of livelihood. “The sale of lottery tickets prohibited by the State government is a punishable offence and often results in serious financial, social, and legal consequences for those involved,” the official said.The police officer cautioned that any future involvement in the sale of illegal lottery tickets would invite stringent legal action. He stressed that the Police Department was intensifying efforts to eliminate unlawful lottery networks that exploit vulnerable sections of society and cause financial losses to the public.Mr. Venkatanarayana further informed the participants to stay away from other illegal activities such as cricket betting, online gambling, drug trafficking, and narcotics consumption. He appealed to the public to promptly report illegal lottery sales and other unlawful activities, assuring that the identities of informants would be kept strictly confidential. Published - May 30, 2026 06:42 pm IST