The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has summoned Bollywood actor Shilpa Shetty’s husband and businessman Raj Kundra to investigate a pornographic allegation. He has been ordered to appear at the ED’s Mumbai office at 11 a.m. on Monday.
This comes two days after the ED raided various premises associated with Kundra as part of a money laundering investigation into the production and distribution of pornographic content.
The Mumbai Police detained Kundra in July 2021 on allegations of making and distributing pornographic content. He was eventually given bail. However, he has denied the claims against him, stating that he was made a “scapegoat” in the case.
Earlier this year, Raj Kundra came under the attention of the ED, which seized Rs 98 crore in assets as part of a money laundering investigation into the Gain Bitcoin Ponzi Scam. The seized property comprised a residential flat in Juhu, Mumbai, a bungalow in Pune, and equity interests.
The legal issues date back to 2018 when the ED began an inquiry into Amit Bharadwaj’s Ponzi scheme. Shilpa Shetty and Raj Kundra were not initially identified as suspects, but they were notified in April 2024 that their assets had been provisionally attached as part of the ongoing investigation.
What is the case against Raj Kundra?
Kundra became the focus of the case investigation after it began in February 2021, when the Mumbai Police launched a probe into the pornography racket in response to complaints from several women who claimed they were forced to participate in such content under the guise of auditions for web series and films.
They said that they were pressed to complete the shoots, which were then released online on subscription-based mobile apps like HotHit Movies and Hotshots, as well as websites like Nuefliks and Hothitmovies.
Raj Kundra founded Armsprime Media Private Limited in 2019, and he has been accused of being a key conspirator in the scheme. His firm developed the Hotshots app, which was eventually moved to Kenrin Limited, a UK-based company run by his brother-in-law, Pradeep Bakshi.
Authorities alleged Kundra kept control of the app and other platforms used to spread sexual content, profiting handsomely from membership fees. Four of his employees came forward as witnesses, providing detailed accounts of the operations behind the unlawful network.
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