In a case that has grabbed headlines, one of India's most flamboyant businessmen has been arrested for allegedly making porn films. Raj Kundra, a British citizen and the husband of Bollywood star Shilpa Shetty, is an industrialist and an owner of a cricket team in the Indian Premier League (IPL), the world's richest cricket tournament.
Police now claim the 45-year-old is a "key conspirator" in a porn production ring that coerced several women to engage in sex videos that were posted on the internet. Mr. Kundra has denied any wrongdoing. His lawyer Abad Ponda said Mr. Kundra's "arrest is illegal". Nine people have been arrested so far in connection with the investigation, which was launched in February. They include an actor, producer, and a company executive.
According to the police, the accused made false promises to lure women who had answered acting advertisements to participate in the videos. These clips – allegedly shot in rented bungalows – were then uploaded to mobile phone apps for some 400,000 subscribers who paid 200-400 rupees (about $2.70-$5.40; £1.95-£3.90) a month. And Mr. Kundra, according to the police, was the owner of a company involved in featuring porn clips on these platforms.
Mr. Kundra was arrested from his residence – a sprawling bungalow in the city of Mumbai – on 20 July. He is facing charges of cheating, sale of obscene content, and "obscene and indecent advertisements and displays". Under Indian law, publishing or transmitting "obscene" material, including pornography is illegal and punishable by up to seven years in jail.
But the industry still thrives in the country – its popularity in large part driven by the internet. Indians are believed to be among the largest consumers of online pornography – and were ranked third in a list of countries published by Pornhub, the world's largest pornographic video-sharing website, after the United States and Britain.
On 4 February 2021, a group of Mumbai police officers – acting on a tip-off from an unknown person – walked through the metal entry gates of a one-story bungalow in the north of the city, where a porn film was allegedly being shot. They were in Madh, a small northern suburb of Mumbai, and a famous location for shooting Bollywood films. Police said they found two people on a couch, sitting naked and making "obscene poses". Another woman was filming them, they said.
Mobile phones, laptops, and cameras with salacious content were recovered from the house, police said. Five people, including the person assisting in shooting the film, were detained. And the woman who police said was being forced to pose for them was rescued. This was a start of a long-drawn investigation during which a number of other women, who alleged they had been forced to act in such films, filed complaints.
During questioning, the woman caught filming the scene told investigators that she owned the mobile application Hot Hits. Police said she and others would upload porn films on the mobile app which followed a subscription model similar to that of OTT platforms. These films were also advertised on social media, police said.
The films were shot in remote locations – bungalows rented for the day in the suburbs of Mumbai. "New and aspiring female actors were lured by the accused, promising them roles in short films and web series," said Mumbai joint police commissioner for crime, Milind Bharambe.
Besides Hot Hits, three other apps are also being investigated. "The police have frozen 75 million rupees [about $1m; £730,000] in the bank accounts of other apps as crime proceeds," Mr. Bharambe said. Police say there are two main aspects to the case: arresting those who produced such porn films, and those who broadcast the clips.
Investigators say they are also looking into a UK-based company called Kenrin – they claim that Mr. Kundra sold a pornography app called Hot Shots to Kenrin to bypass scrutiny under Indian law. The app was available on Apple Store and Google Play – both removed it last year after receiving complaints.
"Even though Karin is based in London, the content creation, operations, and the accounting were handled by Mr. Kundra's company called Viaan," said Mr. Bharambe. The BBC has not been able to contact Viaan for comment. On Tuesday, investigators searched Viaan's office in Mumbai.
Police said they recovered porn films. Whatsapp chats, emails, and accounting sheets of the alleged business were also seized. Mr. Kundra is not new to controversy. In 2013, he faced allegations of spot-fixing during the Indian Premier League tournament.
In the porn video case, after the Raj Kundra case, there is a lot of discussion about the name of actress Gehana Vashistha. Jewel also openly supported Raj Kundra and even said that he used to make erotica, not porn. And now Jewel came in front of the fans nude on her Insta Live to explain this. This video of Jewel is going viral on social media. In this video, Jewel herself has confessed that she is not wearing a single cloth. He asked people, am I looking like a vulgar? Do you think this is porn?
Jewel said that among friends, "I am sitting live in front of you all, tell me whether I am a blogger or looking cheap. Or do you feel from anywhere that you can count in the category of porn? Trust me. That I am not wearing anything. But still, you are not counting it in the category of porn. But in the rest of the videos where I am wearing nice clothes. Still calling it porn. This is wrong. Everyone Saying I shot porn and I'm not wearing anything right now, so you are not calling it porn" After this Gehna said that there is a limit to hypocrisy.
Shilpa shared her statement on Instagram on Monday, which reads: "Yes! The past few days have been challenging, on every front. There have been a lot of rumors and accusations. A lot of unwarranted aspersions on me cast by the media and (not so) well-wishers as well. A lot of trolling/questions posed…not only to me but also to my family."
"MY STAND…I HAVE NOT COMMENTED YET and will continue to refrain from doing so on this case as it is subjudice, so please stop attributing false quotes on my behalf. Reiterating my philosophy of, as a celebrity 'Never complain, never explain'. All I will say is, as it's an ongoing investigation, I have full faith in the Mumbai Police & the Indian judiciary," she added. "As a family, we are taking recourse to all our available legal remedies. But, till then I humbly request you – especially as a MOTHER – to respect our privacy for my children`s sake and request you to refrain from commenting on half-baked information without verifying the veracity of the same," Shilpa further wrote.
"I am a proud law-abiding Indian citizen and a hardworking professional for the last 29 years. People have put their faith in ME & I've never let anyone down. So, most importantly, I request you to respect my family`s and 'my right' to privacy in these times. We don't deserve a media trial. Please let the law take its course. Satyamev Jayate!" she concluded. Shilpa Shetty Kundra's statement talking about her "right to privacy" comes just a few days after the Bombay High Court reportedly refused to restrict media and social media platforms from publishing reports which talk about her. The court reportedly told the Bollywood actress that she has chosen a public life.
A day after Bollywood diva Shilpa Shetty broke her silence to issue a statement, saying she and her family do not deserve a media trial amid her husband Raj Kundra's arrest for his alleged involvement in porn racket, their son Viaan Raj Kundra on Tuesday took to his unverified Instagram account to share his first post since his dad's arrest.
Viaan shared a carousel of photos in which he is seen embracing mom Shilpa Shetty and sharing a precious moment kissing and hugging her. He let the pictures do all the talking and did not use any caption. In his Instagram Stories, Viaan shared mom Shilpa's statement which she issued on Monday.
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