Hyderabad, March 21: Hours after Cyberabad police registered a FIR against them for allegedly promoting betting apps, Tollywood actors Rana Daggubati, Vijay Devarakonda and Prakash Raj on Thursday clarified that they are not promoting any illegal app.

While Rana Daggubati and Vijay Devarakonda stated that they endorsed only legally permitted online skill-based games, Prakash Raj said he did not renew a contract to promote an app in 2017 after realising that he should not have done it.

Rana and Vijay Devarakonda issued separate statements through their media teams while Prakash Raj posted a video on his ‘X’ handle to give his clarification.

According to a statement issued on behalf of Rana Daggubati, he entered into a contract with a company to act as a brand ambassador for skill-based games, which expired in 2017.

“His endorsement was strictly limited to regions where online skill-based games were legally permitted. Rana Daggubati’s legal team thoroughly reviews all partnerships before any agreements are made. After a careful legal review, he agreed to endorse the platform, ensuring full compliance with the law,” reads the statement.

It further clarified that Rana Daggubati’s endorsement of a legal and skill-based gaming platform was fully compliant with the law. “It is essential to highlight these online games, have been recognized by the Supreme Court of India as distinct from gambling. The Court has ruled that these games are based on skill, not chance, and are therefore legally allowed,” it added.

Earlier, Vijay Devarakaonda’s team also issued a clarification.

The actor had officially entered into a contract with a company solely for the limited purpose of serving as a brand ambassador for skill-based games.

“His endorsement was strictly confined to regions and territories where online skill-based games are legally permitted. It is important to clarify that skill-based games, including online games such as rummy, have been repeatedly recognised by the Supreme Court of India as distinct from gambling or gaming. The court has upheld that such games involve skill rather than chance, making them legally permissible,” reads the statement.

“Mr. Vijay Deverakonda’s legal team and agencies carefully review all associations before entering into any agreements. After a thorough legal review, he had agreed to endorse the skill-based gaming platform A23, ensuring that his association aligned with the law standards. However, his endorsement term ended in 2023, and he is no longer associated with the brand. This press release is being issued to eliminate any misconceptions / misinformation and to emphasize that Mr. Vijay Deverakonda’s past endorsement of a legally recognized skill-based gaming company was completely lawful.”

Prakash Raj, in his video statement, said in June 2016 he did an advertisement for a gaming app. “But within a few months I realised it may be legal but it was not right. I couldn’t have done anything because I have done it. I let it go. It was a year’s contract and when they wanted to renew it I said no. My conscience does not accept and I don’t want to continue. It happened 8-9 years ago. Since then I have not done any ads which promote online gambling,” he said.

The actor said in 2021 when the company which might have been sold to someone else had put some snippets on social media he sent them a notice saying they can’t illegally use them. He appealed to youngsters not to be victims of gambling because it ruins life.

Prakash Raj said that he has not received any notice from the police and if he receives anything he will reply.

Earlier, Cyberabad police registered a case against Rana Daggubati, Vijaya Devarakonda, Manchu Lakshmi, Nidhi Agarwal and others.

A case against six actors and 19 social media influencers has been registered at Miyapur Police Station of Cyberabad Commissionerate.

The First Information Report (FIR) has been registered under sections 318 (4), 112 r/w 49 of Bharat Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), 3, 3 (A) and 4 of Telangana Gaming Act and 66D of Information Technology Act 2008.

The police registered a case on a complaint by one Phanidra Sharma, a resident of Miyapur, who stated that he found several celebrities and social media influencers actively promoting illegal betting apps, websites and other platforms. The complainant said promotion of betting apps was causing harm to individuals and society by encouraging this addictive short-term risky money-making behaviour leading to financial distress.

Mumbai, March 20: Maharashtra Minister and BJP leader Nitesh Rane on Thursday demanded that Shiv Sena(UBT) leader Aditya Thackeray should be arrested and interrogated in the Disha Salian death case.

Disha Salian, a former manager of late Bollywood actor Sushant Singh Rajput reportedly fell from the 14th floor of an apartment building on June 8, 2020, in Malad, leading to her death, an Accidental Death Report by the Mumbai Police said. Six days later, on June 14, 2020, Sushant Singh was found dead in his Bandra residence, which was initially ruled a suicide but later handed over to the CBI.

Minister Rane’s demand comes after the father of Disha Salian in a petition has alleged that his daughter was gang-raped and murdered. The petitioner also appealed to the court to register an FIR against Shiv Sena(UBT) leader Aditya Thackeray and transfer the probe to the CBI.

“This is a very simple, straightforward case. Why does Aditya Thackeray need to be saved from this? If he has no involvement, then why is he running away so much?” asked Rane. “There was a Supreme Court judgment, according to which, if anyone is charged with rape, a case has to be registered against him first. According to that rule, a case should be registered against Aditya Thackeray and he should be arrested. He should be questioned,… in fact, all those are named in this case, the same justice that is meted out to other people should be meted out to Aditya Thackeray,” he said.

“Whether it is Aditya Thackeray, Suraj Pancholi or Dino Morea, they should be investigated, if they have no hand in this case, the investigation will reveal that. If Aditya Thackeray believes that this was suicide, he has nothing to do with this case, he is being implicated, then it is very simple he should face the investigation, tell the truth, provide evidence and prove us all wrong,” he said.

Commenting on Shiv Sena(UBT) MP Sanjay Raut questioning the timing of the petition, Rane said, “During those five years, his own name (Aditya Thackeray), the son of the former Chief Minister of the Maha Vikas Aghadi (Uddhav Thackeray), had come up in the case. You should hear from Disha Salian’s father how much pressure he had put on them. He (Disha Salian’s father) himself had said that there was a lot of pressure on him not to say anything,” he claimed.

He also questioned, “Why did Kishori Pednekar (former mayor who has been named in the petition) go to his house then?”

Rane stated that all politicians should now step aside in this matter, a girl was gang-raped, and she was murdered. “Now she should get justice, that’s all we have to say, that’s our only position,” he added.

“Disha Salian’s father has nothing to do with politics, he presented a stand, and he went to court. Many people are following up on this case. And now Disha Salian’s father is convinced that his daughter did not commit suicide, that there was something wrong with her, that she was murdered,” said Rane and reiterated that this case should be investigated.

New Delhi, March 20: Senior BJP leader and former MP Kirit Somaiya on Thursday said there was a major Bangladeshi birth certificate scam going on in Maharashtra. He claimed that 52 infiltrators from the neighbouring country had fraudulently obtained birth certificates.

Somaiya said six FIRs have been filed against these 52 in the state.

The Bangladeshi nationals were living in various cities in the Akola district, Maharashtra, and had obtained birth certificates by submitting fake documents.

The FIRs have been filed in Akot, Telhara, Barshitakali, Ramdaspeth (Akola city), Murtijapur, and Patur police stations under sections 3(5), 229, 236, 237, 318(4), 336(3), 340(2) of the Bhartiya Nyay Sanhita (BNS).

The BJP leader said, “It was a case of Bangladeshi birth certificate scam. Six FIRs have been filed against 52 infiltrators from Bangladesh.”

He gave a list of the infiltrators who had obtained the birth certificates fraudulently. The list of 52 has around 12 women who have also secured birth certificates.

Earlier, this month Somaiya exposed a massive illegal birth certificate racket that has allowed thousands of Bangladeshis and Rohingyas to obtain Indian citizenship fraudulently.

The scam, he claimed originated in Amravati with 4,500 fake registrations. He said that it is a statewide crisis, with over 1.3 lakh fraudulent birth certificates issued.

Somaiya has demanded immediate cancellation of these certificates, arrests of corrupt officials, and an overhaul of the birth registration system. He has also submitted 478 pages of evidence to the police,

The BJP leader stated, “We are witnessing the most dangerous infiltration scam in Maharashtra’s history.”

On Tuesday, Minister of State for Home Yogesh Kadam informed the Maharashtra Assembly that the government has asked developers and contractors in Mumbai to give an undertaking that they do not employ Bangladeshis in their projects. If any Bangladeshi is noticed in the project, it is their responsibility to inform the police, he said.

In January, the Maharashtra government set up a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe the issuance of birth and death certificates on “delayed” applications amid complaints of illegal immigrants from Bangladesh living in parts of the state.