Bollywood star Shilpa Shetty and Raj Kundra file Rs500m defamation suit against Sherlyn Chopra

Bollywood actress Shilpa Shetty Kundra and her husband, businessman Raj Kundra, have filed a Rs500 million (Dh24.4 million) defamation suit against model and starlet Sherlyn Chopra. The move comes days after the couple’s lawyers warned Chopra against making inflammatory statements in the press, which in turn prompted her to file an FIR (First Information Report) claiming sexual and mental harassment by Shilpa and her husband.

In a statement issued by the lawyers of the Bollywood couple, they have called Chopra’s claims ‘baseless’ and ‘frivolous’. “The entire allegations made by Ms Sherlyn Chopra against Mr Raj Kundra and Ms Shilpa Shetty Kundra, are concocted, false, fake, frivolous, baseless, without any evidence, even to Ms Sherlyn Chopra’s knowledge, and have been made with an ulterior motive to defame and extort money,” the statement read, as reported in the Indian media.

The statement continues to say that Shilpa was in no way involved in the mobile app that is at the centre of the pornography racket involving her husband who stands accused of filming and distributing adult content via cellphones. “It is nothing but an audacious attempt by Ms Sherlyn to drag Ms Shilpa Shetty’s name to create unwanted controversy and gain media attention. The allegations are nothing but an afterthought, wherein Ms Sherlyn Chopra, is arraigned as an Accused, in C.R. No. 02/2020, Nodal Cyber Police Station,” the statement continues, adding: “We have complete faith in the Indian Judiciary, and we would be initiating civil/criminal proceedings against Ms. Sherlyn Chopra before the competent court of Law, for Justice. We have put a defamation of Rs50 crore against Sherlyn Chopra.”

What is the Raj Kundra case? The Indian businessman and producer, 46, was arrested on July 19 for allegedly producing and distributing adult content on mobile apps such as HotShots and BollyFame. After spending two months in prison, he was granted bail on September 20 by a Mumbai Court. Raj has reportedly been booked under Indian Penal Code sections 420 of cheating, 34 for common intention, along with 292 and 293 that involves indulging in the obscene act in public places and publicly exhibiting or circulating obscene books or literature and under the Information Technology Act and under the Indecent Representation of Women (Prohibition) Act.

Raj’s name first appeared in the probe after the Property Cell of Mumbai Police came across the involvement of a UK production company, Kenrin Pvt Ltd, whose executive, Umesh Kamat was arrested. He was the former employee of Raj and was accused of uploading “pornographic and obscene” videos shot by TV actress Gehna Vasisth (pictured) on a social media app.

During the probe, the police stated that the Hotshots app that was used to upload said adult content was owned by the UK-based company Kenrin Pvt Ltd, which operated from the premises of Mumbai-based Viaan Industries that listed Raj and Shilpa as the board of directors. The Mumbai Police had further named Raj as the key conspirator in this whole racket with the team linking 51 adult videos — 35 with a Hotshots logo and 16 with BollyFame logo — during their searches at the office of the accused.

Several celebrities were also linked to the racket, including model Poonam Pandey and Chopra herself who had earlier held Raj responsible for bringing her into the adult film industry. Other details Chopra included in her police statement was that she was paid Rs300,000 for each project and so far, she had done about 15 to 20 projects for Raj.

Raj had rubbished the allegations and even denied having any links to the two apps. Shilpa also denied that she was aware of any company workings under Viaan Industries from which she later resigned.

“Raj Kundra started Viaan Industries Limited in 2015 and I was one of the directors till 2020 when I resigned due to personal reasons. 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,” the Indian Express quoted Shetty Kundra as having told the police in her statement, which was included in the 1,500-page chargesheet filed by the Mumbai Police Crime Branch on September 16.

Since Raj’s release, Chopra has been taking potshots against the couple on her social media. She has yet to issue an official statement in response to the defamation suit at time of writing.