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.

Mumbai, March 20: Shiv Sena-UBT MP Sanjay Raut questioned the timing of the petition filed by the father of Disha Salian, who was late actor Sushant Singh Rajput’s former manager, seeking a CBI probe into the circumstances under which she was found dead in June 2020.

The petitioner has appealed to the court to register an FIR against Shiv Sena-UBT leader Aaditya Thackeray.

Disha Salian’s father Satish has alleged that his daughter was gang raped and murdered.

“I don’t know what is in the petition. But the time chosen for the petition is when the atmosphere in Maharashtra is heated over Aurangzeb. Some power is working behind the petitioner. All powers are behind them. Discussion is being created around that petition, leaving aside the Aurangzeb issue. There is no need to name the people who are behind this,” said Raut.

“The continuous efforts to defame the Thackeray family are visible through this when the Aurangzeb case has turned against the government. There was an attempt to take Aurangzeb out of the grave and release him on us. Therefore, this case has been brewing for the last four days to get rid of Aurangzeb,” alleged Sanjay Raut.

“It is not the culture of Maharashtra to throw mud on the future and career of a young leader in this way. These experiments were done on many leaders like us. Nothing came out of it,” he said.

“Who is behind this? Who has the power? We have all the information about who was moving behind this. If you are going to do politics in this way, then that politics will be a disaster for you,” he warned.

“Many such cases happen in Maharashtra and in the country. Family members and parents come forward for justice. They try to seek justice. They cooperate with the police investigation. This is a tradition. After five years, they say that there was pressure on us. How can you believe this?” he asked.

“The party has digested so many attacks and is moving forward aggressively. The party has emerged anew under the leadership of Uddhav Thackeray. Then if we say that such graves have to be dug up, the graves of Justice Lohia and Sohrabuddin will have to be dug up, just like in Maharashtra, from Ramesh Govekar in Konkan to Ankush Rane and Satyavijay Bhisen, there are hundreds of such graves in the entire state of Maharashtra and their investigation will have to be done anew,” said Raut.

Former Mayor Kishori Pednekar also suspected a conspiracy behind the filing of the petition. She also questioned why the petition was filed almost five years after the CID had investigated it and the SIT probe was underway.