Mumbai: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Friday raided the house and office of actress Shilpa Shetty’s businessman husband Raj Kudra and several others as part of a money laundering probe in the porn racket case. Search operation was conducted at about 15 places in Mumbai and Uttar Pradesh. A software engineer associated with Kundra has been detained by ED from Kushinagar, Gorakhpur, UP.
Apart from Mumbai, ED also investigated at many places including UP and Gorakhpur. It is being told that Atul Srivastava, resident of Kushinagar, Gorakhpur, has been detained. It is said that Atul Srivastava works as a software engineer for Kundra’s companies. However, there are also said to be some suspicious transactions in his bank account. ED also interrogated Srivastava’s family members.
It is being investigated whether Atul Srivastava is in any way involved in financial transactions through distribution of pornographic content and sale of foreign apps.
Police filed an FIR against Kundra in 2021 based on a complaint by two women in a scam related to making films for porn apps and selling such porn films, while another woman lodged a complaint at the Lonavala police station. According to the police, obscene videos were uploaded through an app named Hotshots. This obscene material was also sold abroad. Kundra was arrested in this case. However, he was released on bail in September 2021 after spending two months in jail.
Raj Kundra had earlier claimed in his defense that there was no evidence that he was actively involved in the alleged porn film production. He was falsely implicated and was not even named in the FIR. The police had implicated him in this case.
Police said that during the investigation of the case, it was revealed that some actresses were lured to get a break in web series and short films. These actresses were called for audition and asked to give bold scenes. Nude and semi-nude videos were made. Police told the court that their investigation revealed that Kundra had established Arms Prime Media Private Limited. Who had bought hotshots for uploading objectionable videos on social media through London-based Kenrin Private Limited.
Kundra’s phone contained WhatsApp chats related to Kenrin and his financial transactions. Police said they discussed selling 119 adult films to a man for $1.2 million.
Earlier, Kundra’s properties were seized in the Bitcoin scam.
Earlier this year, Raj Kundra was caught in the trap of ED. Kundra owns a residential flat in Mumbai, a bungalow in Pune and equity shares worth Rs. Property worth Rs 98 crore was seized. He cooperated fully in the ED investigation.
The couple later challenged the ED’s action in the Bombay High Court. Due to which the court gave relief against the seizure order of ED. Earlier, a racket of making porn films by promising actresses to work in web series had come to light.
Lawyer’s claim, the case has nothing to do with Shilpa
After the ED raid, Shilpa Shetty’s lawyer gave a statement saying that the actress was not involved in any such case. Media reports that Shilpa Shetty Kundra was raided by the Enforcement Directorate are not true and misleading. As far as I know Shilpa Shetty Kundra has not been raided by ED as she has nothing to do with any crime. Rajkundra is cooperating in the investigation. The lawyer also warned the media not to link Shilpa’s name to this case.
It is noteworthy that Shilpa got engaged to Kundra in 2009. Then both of them got married in November 2009. She co-owned with Kundra Rajasthan Royals, a cricket team in the Indian Premier League (IPL).
