Bollywood actress Shilpa Shetty has informed that Mumbai Police that she remained too tied up in her work to know the porn apps or other activities of her husband Raj Kundra – who is under custody in the pornography racket case.

Shilpa further stated that Kundra had launched Viaan Industries Ltd around April 2015 and she was on the board till July 2020 when she quit owing to personal reasons, as stated in the charge sheet filed by the police on Wednesday against Kundra and his associate Ryan Thorpe.

According to the police probe, Kundra allegedly used his company’s Mumbai offices to manage the daily operations of the sleaze content racket and upload it through the HotShots and Bollyfame apps for paid viewers.

The nearly 1,500-page charge sheet also contains details of the investigations and the evidence collected against the 11 accused arrested till date, plus two others wanted accused in the same case, Kundra’s brother-in-law Sandeep Bakshi and Yash Thakur – to show how the entire paid sleaze content racket was being run.

The police during its raid on Kundra’s homes on July 23 and the Viaan offices in Andheri on July 24, had seized incriminating documents, laptops, portable hard-disks, and also recovered a laptop from Thorpe.

All the electronic devices were subjected to various forensic tests to gather further evidence pertaining to the sensational case.

Besides Shilpa, the police have recorded the statements, including some before a magistrate, of at least 42 other witnesses, including models, films or television actresses, against Kundra and Thorpe.

The smut racket was exposed after the Malad police raided a bungalow in Madh Island in February, the subsequent nabbing of 9 accused, and finally the arrest of Kundra and Thorpe on July 19, shocking the entertainment industry.

The Bombay High Court on Wednesday granted interim protection from arrest to businessman Raj Kundra till August 25 in a porn film racket case registered in 2020 by the Mumbai Police here.

When the matter came up for hearing, his lawyer Prashant Patil argued that the other co-accused in the case are already out on bail and the offences against Kundra attract a punishment of less than seven years, and hence deserved protection from arrest.

Opposing the plea, Additional Public Prosecutor Prajakta Shinde said that the role of accused (Kundra) was different from the other co-accused and sought more time for instructions on the merits of the case.

While granting time, Justice S.K. Shinde allowed an interim order preventing Kundra’s arrest till August 25, when the next hearing is scheduled.

Earlier, Kundra had sought anticipatory bail in the FIR lodged by the Mumbai Police Cyber Crime Cell in connection with the alleged porn racket case, claiming he was falsely implicated.

He further contended that there is no evidence to link him against the HotShot App and was being made a ‘scapegoat’.

However, late on July 19, Kundra was nabbed in a similar complaint registered by the Crime Branch in 2021 for which he was sent to custody.

Last week, after a lower court rejected his anticipatory bail plea, he moved the Bombay HC which has granted him interim relief against arrest for a week.

Actress Shilpa Shetty is shattered because of a lot of speculations, stories after her husband Raj Kundra was arrested in a pornography case. There are stories that Shilpa Shetty too will be arrested in the case. The actress issued a public statement for the first time after her husband’s arrest. She requested everyone not to spread the fake news and she wanted them to wait for the law to decide. She wanted the people to respect her privacy for the sake of her children. Shilpa Shetty penned an emotional post and it is made available for public through her social media page. Here is her complete statement:

Yes! The past few days have been challenging, on every front. There have been a lot of rumors and accusations. A lot of unwarranted aspersions on me cast by the media and (not so) well-wishers as well. A lot of trolling/questions were posted, not only to me but also to my family. MY STAND… I HAVE NOT COMMENTED YET and will continue to refrain from doing so on this case as it is subjudice, so please stop attributing false quotes on my behalf. Reiterating my philosophy of, as a celebrity “Never complain, never explain”.

With Positivity and Gratitude,
Shilpa Shetty Kundra