Mumbai court rejects bail pleas of Raj Kundra, Ryan Thorpe in pornography case

Pic Courtesy: Instagram

New Delhi: Mumbai's Esplanade Court rejected bail pleas of businessman Raj Kundra and Ryan Thorpe in a pornography case on Wednesday. Kundra has been remanded to judicial custody for 14 days. 

New agency ANI tweeted: Mumbai's Esplanade Court rejects bail pleas of Raj Kundra and Ryan Thorpe in pornography case

Mumbai's Esplanade Court rejects bail pleas of Raj Kundra and Ryan Thorpe in pornography case pic.twitter.com/5F3hwrNExG

— ANI (@ANI) July 28, 2021

Bollywood actress Shilpa Shetty's husband Raj Kundra was arrested by the Mumbai Crime Branch on July 19 in a case related to the alleged creation of pornographic films and publishing them through apps.

According to PTI, the 45-year-old businessman, earned at least Rs 1.17 crore between August and December last year from his business of production and online distribution of porn films, the police had told a magistrate's court.

At least 11 persons have been arrested so far in the case, according to the police. 

Kundra has contended that the films made by him, which the police claimed to be pornographic, did not depict direct or explicit sexual acts. The Crime Branch, meanwhile, has appointed a financial auditor to probe the money trail of Raj Kundra and Shilpa Shetty and their alleged involvement in the pornography racket case.

Kundra has been named as the key conspirator by the Mumbai Police which has slapped charges against him under Sections 420 (cheating), 34 (common intention), 292 and 293 (related to obscene and indecent advertisements and displays) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) besides relevant sections of the IT Act and the Indecent Representation of Women (Prohibition) Act. 

(With agency inputs)