Raj Kundra’s Bail Plea Rejected In Pornography Case

Earlier, the Bombay High Court on Tuesday had declined to grant any interim relief to Raj Kundra, challenging his "illegal" arrest by Mumbai Police in connection with the porn case on July 19.

Businessman and Bollywood actress Shilpa Shetty’s husband Raj Kundra and his associate Ryan Thorpe’s bail plea has been rejected by a magistrate court today in the sensational pornography racket .

Earlier, the Bombay High Court on Tuesday had declined to grant any interim relief to businessman Raj Kundra, challenging his "illegal" arrest by Mumbai Police in connection with the sensational porn case on July 19. On Tuesday, the lower court sent him to 14 days judicial custody till August 10.

On the other hand, the Bombay High Court had granted anticipatory bails to model-actors Poonam Pandey and Sherlyn Chopra, stating that no coercive action would be taken against the duo till September 20, 2021. Sherlyn Chopra was summoned to appear before the property cell on Tuesday in connection with the porn racket case involving Kundra.

Kundra has been charged with offences under various provisions of Indian Penal Code, the IT Act, and the Indecent Representation of Women (Prohibition) Act. The police said that raids on Kundra's office on July 19 led to recovery of pornographic videos related to the HotShot app, developed by his brother-in-law and UK national Pradeep Bakshi after which he was asked to appear before the Crime Branch vide the notice under Section 41A, but Kundra refused to sign it.

Meanwhile, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) is all set to launch a probe into the alleged financial dealings of Raj Kundra. According to senior ED officials familiar with the development, the financial probe agency has sought the copy of the FIR from the Mumbai Crime Branch.

An official of the ED said that the agency has also sought the details of the banking transactions of Kundra related to Hotshots and BollyFame.

The official said that before filing a case, the ED will also check financial transactions in other countries into the bank accounts of Kundra.

In a major swoop, the Mumbai Police arrested Kundra on July 19 for his alleged role in a sensational case of producing and distributing pornographic content through mobile applications. The police also raided Kundra's home in Juhu last Friday and recorded the statement of Shilpa Shetty, besides summoning others.

Kundra has been charged with offences under various provisions of the Indian Penal Code, IT Act and Indecent Representation of Women (Prohibition) Act.