Raj Kundra porn case: Sherlyn Chopra takes a dig at Bollywood star Shilpa Shetty
Bollywood actress Shilpa Shetty claims she was unaware of her husband’s activities
Even as the Mumbai Police filed a chargesheet in the Raj Kundra pornography racket yesterday, comprising a whopping 1,467 pages, actress-model Sherlyn Chopra found the time to take a dig at Bollywood actress Shilpa Shetty Kundra who is one of the 43 witnesses quoted in the documents.
Kundra is facing charges as being the mastermind behind the filming and distribution of adult content through mobile apps, namely HotShots and BollyFame. In her witness testimony, Shetty Kundra has reportedly claimed she was unaware of her husband’s activities as she was busy with her own life and work commitments.
“Raj Kundra started Viaan Industries Limited in 2015 and I was one of the directors till 2020 when I resigned due to personal reasons,” Shetty Kundra is quoted as saying, while further adding: “I am not aware about the Hotshots or BollyFame apps. I was too busy with my own work and hence, not aware about what Raj Kundra was up to.”
Upon hearing Shetty Kundra’s claims, Chopra took to her Twitter to aim her barb. Speaking in Hindi, she said: “According to some media reports, didi (big sister) is claiming she was unaware of her husband’s nefarious activities. Big sister has also claimed she was clueless about her husband’s work and his earnings. Now how much truth is there in her story, well, you are smart enough to figure it out.”
Chopra herself is one of the witnesses in the Kundra pornography racket. Days after the 45-year-old businessman was arrested in Mumbai, Chopra gave statement to the investigating team of the Maharashtra Cyber Cell in the case.
In a video she later shared on Twitter, she spoke in Hindi about her role in the drama. “For the past few days several journalists and mediapersons have been calling me, emailing me and texting me to learn what is my take on this topic. I would like to inform you all that I was the first person to give my statement to the investigating team of the Maharashtra Cyber Cell. I was also the first person to share information with them about Armsprime,” she said at the time.
“When Maharashtra Cyber Cell had sent me a summons notice, unlike others who say ‘My heart goes out to Shilpa and her kids’, I did not go underground and did not go missing. I have not tried to flee from this city or this country. In March 2021, I went to the office of Cyber Cell and gave my neutral statement to them,” the actress further said.
Armsprime Media Private Limited is a Kundra-founded company and a part of the investigation into the porn racket case. Mumbai Police had earlier claimed that Armsprime had, through London-based Kenrin Private Limited, bought the HotShots mobile app to upload pornographic content, which is linked directly to Kundra.
In the chargesheet filed yesterday, the police has claimed that Kundra used the Mumbai office of Viaan Industries to run the day-to-day operations of the porn racket. Indian Express quoted an officer as saying that the police has submitted evidence that show Kundra, a Ryan Thorpe, along with accused Yash Thakur and Sandeep Bakshi (Kundra’s brother-in-law based in the UK) were all directly involved in the pornography racket.
Kundra, who currently remains in judicial custody, first appeared in a probe after the Property Cell of Mumbai Police came across the involvement of a UK production company, Kenrin, whose executive, Umesh Kamat was arrested. He was the former employee of Kundra and was accused of uploading at least eight “pornographic and obscene” videos shot by TV actress Gehna Vasisth on a social media app.
Kundra has rubbished the allegations and even denied having any links to the alleged porn apps case citing that he had exited from the company in 2019. The charges Kundra is currently facing including Indian Penal Code Sections 420 (cheating), 34 (common intention), 292 and 293 (related to obscene and indecent advertisements and displays) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) besides relevant sections of the IT Act and the Indecent Representation of Women (Prohibition) Act.
Meanwhile, Shetty Kundra on Wednesday undertook a pilgrimage to the holy cave shrine of Mata Vaishnodevi in Jammu and Kashmir’s Reasi district where she told reporters she was happy to be there. After a short hiatus following her husband’s arrest, and a public statement where she implored everyone to not inflict a “trial by media” on her and her family, Shetty Kundra has returned to work and seemingly normal life.
There has been speculation that the actress was looking to start legal separation from Kundra. Earlier this month, a report published by Bollywood Hungama stated that Shetty Kundra was planning to move out of her home in Mumbai, along with their two young children. A friend of Shetty Kundra has been quoted in the speculative article that claimed the marriage was on the rocks.
Kundra and Shetty Kundra got married in a lavish manner in 2009 and their wedding was attended by several Bollywood A-listers.