ED raids house, offices of Shilpa Shetty's husband Raj Kundra in connection with porn racket case
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has conducted raids on Raj Kundra, the husband of Bollywood actress Shilpa Shetty, along with several others, in connection with a money laundering investigation linked to the production and distribution of pornographic content through mobile applications.
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FollowThe Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Friday conducted raids at the residence and office of businessman Raj Kundra, the husband of Bollywood actress Shilpa Shetty, in connection with a money laundering investigation linked to the production and distribution of pornographic content through mobile applications.
The central agency is also searching the premises of Kundra's associates, officials said.
Raj Kundra was arrested in June 2021 on charges of allegedly producing pornographic films. He was later granted bail in September 2021, after spending two months in jail.
Mumbai Police officials have stated that Kundra was the primary conspirator in the case.
The network was uncovered following the bust of a pornography racket by the Mumbai Police in February 2021, which led to the arrest of five individuals. Further investigations resulted in four additional arrests over time. The case, however, faced setbacks due to leadership changes within the Mumbai Police.
In June, the Mumbai Police Crime Branch resumed its probe and uncovered the involvement of HotShots, an app owned by Raj Kundra's company. A search operation was conducted subsequently, and the officials said adult content was found on servers seized. The app has since been removed from mobile platforms by Apple and Google.
Operating from his Viaan Industries office, Kundra reportedly managed the UK-based company's content supply. His IT director, Ryan Thorpe, supervised the application's operations and financial dealings. Kundra informed authorities that he had sold 'Hotshots' for 25,000 US dollars in 2019 and established Arms Prime Media.
Kundra is currently under scrutiny in a separate money laundering investigation related to Bitcoin fraud involving Ajay Bhardwaj. The ED has secured Shilpa Shetty's Juhu property, asserting that Kundra utilised illicit funds to acquire the flat before transferring ownership to his wife.
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