Shilpa Shetty's husband and businessman Raj Kundra has filed an application before a magistrate's court here seeking that he be discharged from a case related to alleged creation and distribution of porn films through apps. Kundra was arrested in the case in July 2021. He is now out on bail.
His lawyer Prasant Patil filed the discharge application on July 20. It details became available on Wednesday. Police found no evidence that Kundra made any monetary or other kind of gain from the alleged offence, and the prosecution has not attributed to him any intention to commit offense, the application said.
The court has asked the prosecution to file its reply on September 8. A First Information Report (FIR) was registered against Kundra and others after a woman approached the police and made certain allegations.
The case was transferred to the Mumbai Crime Branch. Kundra was booked under Indian Penal Code sections 420 (cheating), 292 and 293 (related to obscene and indecent advertisements and displays) and sections of the Information Technology Act and Indecent Representation of Women (Prohibition) Act.
On September 20, Kundra was granted bail by a Mumbai Court in the pornography case on a surety of Rs 50,000. Allegations were levelled against Kundra for allegedly producing and distributing porn films using a subscriber-driven mobile app called 'Hotshots'.
On the other hand, Kundra has refuted all the charges levelled against him by saying that he has been falsely implicated.?Kundra stated that, “After much contemplation, considering there are many misleading and irresponsible statements and articles floating around and my silence has been misconstrued for weakness. I would like to start by stating that I have NEVER been involved in the production and distribution of “pornography” EVER in my life."
"This whole episode has been nothing but a witch hunt. The matter is subjudice so I can not elucidate, but I am ready to face trial and have full faith in the judiciary, where the truth will prevail."
Kundra said, unfortunately he has already been pronounced “guilty” by the media and that his family and he have been subjected to a lot of pain (continuously), violating his human and constitutional rights at different levels.
"The trolling, negativity and toxic public perception has been very debilitating. To set the record straight, I do not hide my face in shame, but wish that my privacy is not intruded anymore with this continued MEDIA TRIAL. My priority has always been my family, nothing else matters at this juncture," he said.