MUMBAI, Dec 1: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has issued a summons to businessman Raj Kundra, who is married to actress Shilpa Shetty, to appear for questioning in a money laundering investigation linked to the alleged illegal dissemination of pornographic films, official sources reported on Sunday.
According to these sources, Kundra has been requested to present himself before the case’s investigating officer this week, along with several others involved in the case.
On December 29, the central agency conducted raids at Kundra’s locations in Mumbai and in several areas of Uttar Pradesh.
Kundra stated on Saturday that he is “fully cooperating” with the ongoing investigation, which has been in progress for the last four years.
Shetty’s lawyer informed PTI that the legal actions taken are not aimed at the actress, and assured that Kundra is “collaborating in the investigation to uncover the truth.” This money laundering case originates from at least two FIRs registered by the Mumbai Police in May 2022, along with chargesheets filed against Kundra and others. Kundra, alongside several associates, was arrested in this matter but later released on bail.
This marks the second money laundering investigation for Kundra. Earlier this year, the ED seized assets worth Rs 98 crore belonging to Kundra and Shetty in connection with a cryptocurrency case, although they later received relief from the Bombay High Court regarding this asset attachment.
In a court filing in 2021, Kundra argued that there was no substantial evidence presented by the prosecution (Mumbai Police) linking the app ‘Hotshots’, purportedly used in the alleged pornographic film operation, to any criminal activity.
The investigation agency claims that the ‘Hotshots’ app was utilized by the accused for the uploading and streaming of inappropriate content.
Kundra asserted that he was not “actively” involved in producing the alleged pornographic content and claimed he was wrongfully implicated, noting that he wasn’t even named in the FIR.
In his plea, he suggested that he is being used as a “scapegoat” for reasons unknown to him and the investigators.
The police initiated FIRs based on complaints from two women, with another complaint filed at the Lonavala police station, about 120 km from Mumbai.
The investigation revealed that some aspiring actors were allegedly enticed with promises of opportunities in web series or short films, only to be coerced into performing suggestive scenes that turned out to be semi-nude or nude, contrary to their consent, as stated by officials.
The inquiry also uncovered numerous ‘porn-like apps’ operating in cyberspace.
The police informed the court that their investigation identified Kundra as the founder of Armsprime Media Pvt Ltd, which, through London-based Kenrin Pvt Ltd, acquired the Hotshots app to upload “objectionable videos” across social media platforms.
Furthermore, Kundra’s phone reportedly contained WhatsApp conversations about Kenrin and its financial dealings, which indicated discussions about selling 119 adult films for USD 1.2 million.
