The Telangana police have filed an FIR against 25 celebrities and influencers, including Rana Daggubati, Prakash Raj, Vijay Deverakonda and Manchu Lakshmi, for allegedly promoting a betting app. Following these allegations, actors Vijay Deverakonda and Prakash Raj on Thursday issued a statement on their behalf, giving clarity on the allegations of promoting illegal betting and gambling apps through social media platforms.

Vijay Deverakonda's team issued a statement saying that the actor had signed a contract with a company as a brand ambassador, which was aimed only at promoting skill-based games and he had promoted this company only in regions where online skill-based games were legally permitted. The statement said, "It is important to clarify that skill-based games, such as rummy, have been considered different from gambling by the Supreme Court of India, as they require skill and are not just games based on chance." Apart from this, he also clarified that Vijay Deverakonda's contract has expired in 2023 and now he has no association with this platform.

After this, actor Prakash Raj also clarified his position. He released a video on Twitter, in which he admitted that he promoted a gaming app, but later found it not right and refused to continue it. In the video, he said, "I have not received any summons from the police station, but I feel it is my responsibility to give you clarity." Prakash Raj further said, "In 2016 I was approached for a gaming app, which I promoted for a year. But after a few months I realized that it is not right. So when they asked for renewal, I refused." The actor also said that since then he has never promoted online gambling apps.

The Telangana Police has registered an FIR against 25 celebrities following these allegations, including names like Prakash Raj, Vijay Deverakonda and Manchu Lakshmi. The case has been registered at Miyapur Police Station in Hyderabad, and the complaint was filed by businessman PM Phanindra Sharma.