The probe company additionally raided different people allegedly concerned within the case.
Mumbai:
Businessman Raj Kundra’s home and workplaces have been raided in the present day by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in the present day as a part of a cash laundering probe associated to the manufacturing and distribution of pornographic content material by cellular apps. The ED’s operation concerned searches at round 15 premises, together with Mr Kundra’s Juhu residence
Mr Kundra, the husband of Bollywood actress Shilpa Shetty, has been beneath the ED’s lens for months, following allegations that he was a key participant in a scheme that monetised specific content material streamed by way of the now-defunct ‘Hotshots’ software. The app, beforehand accessible on platforms like Apple and Google Play, was eliminated after public and authorized scrutiny.
The ED’s case alleges that Mr Kundra utilised his firm, Armsprime Media Pvt Ltd, to handle the app’s operations. It is additional claimed that Armsprime facilitated the sale of the app to UK-based Kenrin Pvt Ltd, which turned instrumental in importing and streaming specific content material.
The app allegedly lured aspiring actors beneath the pretext of internet collection auditions. However, the actors have been reportedly coerced into filming semi-nude or nude scenes in opposition to their needs. The police claimed that Mr Kundra’s telephone contained WhatsApp chats evidencing monetary transactions linked to Kenrin, together with discussions about promoting 119 grownup movies for USD 1.2 million.
Mr Kundra has denied wrongdoing, claiming no lively involvement in producing pornographic content material. He has acknowledged that he was falsely implicated and known as himself a “scapegoat” within the case.
Mr Kundra’s authorized battles should not new. In 2021, he was arrested by Mumbai police in a associated case involving obscene materials and was later launched on bail.
The ED can also be probing his alleged involvement in a crypto-ponzi scheme spearheaded by Amit Bhardwaj, the mastermind behind the Gain Bitcoin rip-off. Earlier this yr, the ED hooked up belongings price Rs 98 crore belonging to Mr Kundra and Ms Shetty, claiming they have been acquired utilizing proceeds from illicit actions, together with the Gain Bitcoin rip-off.