New Delhi: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has summoned businessman Raj Kundra, husband of actor Shilpa Shetty, in connection with illegal distribution of pornographic films, official sources said on Sunday for questioning in a money laundering case.
Kundera was asked to appear in court this week to face the investigation. Several other people have also been summoned in connection with the case.
On December 29, the ED conducted raids at Kundra’s residence in Mumbai and other locations in Uttar Pradesh.
In response, Kundera said on Saturday that he “fully complies” with the ongoing investigation, which has been going on for four years.
Kundra’s lawyers stressed that the action was not against Shilpa Shetty and that Kundra was cooperating to ensure the truth came out.
The case came to light in May 2022 and was based on multiple FIRs filed by the Mumbai police and charge sheets filed against Kundra and others involved in the case. Although Kundra was arrested and later released on bail, this is his second money laundering case; earlier this year, the education ministry seized assets worth Rs 980 million from Kundra and Shetty in a cryptocurrency case. However, they later obtained relief from the Bombay High Court.
Kundera has always denied taking any active role in the creation of the alleged obscenity, claiming he was falsely implicated. An investigation by the Ministry of Education linked Kundra to the “Hotshots” app, which is used to upload and stream pornographic content. Evidence provided by police, including WhatsApp chats on Kundera’s phone, allegedly showed he was involved in the sale of adult films.
In 2021, Kundra told a Mumbai court that there was no evidence linking him to the alleged crimes and claimed he was being used as a “scapegoat”. Investigations revealed that some actors were reportedly misled into performing explicit scenes under the guise of auditioning for web series or short films.
