Celebrities respond to ECIR: Prakash Raj, Vijay Deverakonda and Rana Daggubati deny wrongdoing; clarify betting app links

HYDERABAD: Several celebrities named in the ECIR have issued clarifications or denied wrongdoing. Actor Prakash Raj admitted he had endorsed Junglee Rummy in 2016, but terminated the contract within a year, citing ethical concerns."Legally, it may have been permitted, but I didn't feel right about it. I stepped away," he said, adding he has not promoted any gambling-related platform since.Vijay Deverakonda defended his association with A23, saying he was a brand ambassador for the platform, which promotes skill-based games such as rummy. His team pointed to the Supreme Court's recognition of rummy as a game of skill rather than chance. Rana Daggubati said his association with a skill-based gaming platform ended in 2017 and was legally vetted. "All my endorsements were in regions where such games were permitted," his legal team said.