Raj Kundra pornography case: Bollywood actress Shilpa Shetty’s husband denied bail, new FIR filed and more

1. Actor Shilpa Shetty’s husband Raj Kundra and his aide Ryan Thorpe were denied bail by a court in Mumbai on July 28 in the case relating to filming and distributing pornographic content through mobile apps. According to NDTV, Kundra’s lawyer questioned the basis on which the police was arguing, and asked: “Is the accused a terrorist?” To this, the government lawyer quipped, “Digital evidence in the case has been destroyed.”

2. Elsewhere, a new First Instance Report or FIR has been filed in connection to the pornography scandal shaking up Bollywood. The Mumbai Crime Branch has lodged a fresh complaint that names producers employed at businessman Kundra’s company including producer Roma Khan, her husband, actress Gehana Vasisth (pictured), director Tanveer Hashmi and Umesh Kamath (who used to look after India operations of Kundra’s firm), according to The Hindu.

3. According to media reports, the case was registered by the crime branch’s property cell after an actress approached the police and alleged she was forced to shoot for a pornographic film for the HotShots app. The FIR was registered under Indian Penal Code (IPC) section 420 (cheating), 392 (punishment for robbery), 393 (attempt to commit robbery), and provisions of the Indecent Representation of Women (Prohibition) Act and the Information Technology Act, the official stated.

4. The Mumbai Crime Branch has confirmed that Shilpa Shetty’s role will be further probed in the matter. An official told ANI: “Shilpa Shetty hasn’t been given a clean chit yet. All possibilities/angles are being probed. Forensic auditors are appointed and they are looking into the transactions of all accounts in this case. Other directors of Viaan Industries (Kundra’s company) will also be called for statements, as and when needed.”

5. According to a police statement at a magistrate’s court, Kundra earned close to Rs11.7 million between August and December last year, at a time when India was grappling through a coronavirus lockdown and entertainment arenas and theatres were shut across the country.

6. Salman Khan’s ex-girlfriend Somy Ali has weighed in on the scandal facing Bollywood. Ali, who was last seen in 1997’s ‘Agnichakra’, seemed surprised about the arrest. In an interview with Hindustan Times, she wondered why a country known for the ‘Kama Sutra’ would balk at the thought of explicit material. “The mere taboo of talking about sex or porn ignites more curiosity. Personally, I don’t judge those who choose [this] as their profession as long as no one is hurt or sexually trafficked. It is pivotal that there shouldn’t be any sort of coercion... We have no right to judge anyone,” she said.

7. Former ‘Bigg Boss’ contestant Sofia Hayat has said it is not uncommon for Bollywood aspirants to be tricked into shooting for pornographic films by unscrupulous people. “A casting agent once said to me that there was an intimate scene and I have to show the director how well I can act for it,” Hayat told IANS. “I knew this was a trick because professionals would never ask any artiste to perform such a scene. I have done two love scenes in my career, and although I am not inhibited about such scenes, it was a closed set and nobody had asked me to perform the scenes before the shoot,” she said. She also pointed out that a number of businessmen took advantage of young women in the film industry. Their only motivation is money — and what they did to women was the equivalent of rape, she said.

8. Bollywood actress Celina Jaitly has issued a statement that she has no links with Kundra or the Hotshots app. “Celina was approached for Shilpa Shetty’s app JL Streams, which is a decent influencers’ app for professionals. She wasn’t approached for HotShots; she even doesn’t know what it is all about. Since Shilpa is a good friend of Celina and they share a warm and friendly rapport, she was invited to join,” Times of India quoted Jaitly’s spokesperson as saying.

9. Kundra was arrested on July 19 by Mumbai Crime Branch and will remain in judicial custody until August 10. Kundra and his wife Shetty Kundra have claimed he is innocent, adding that the films are not pornography but erotica and don’t engage in explicit sexual acts. Vasisth has also used the same argument, according to reports.