ED raids homes and offices of Raj Kundra, others

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Friday carried out raids at the residence and office of businessman Raj Kundra, husband of actor Shilpa Shetty, along with several others, in a money laundering investigation linked to a porn network case against him. According to officials, the agency is also searching the premises of Kundra's associates. The sources said that around 15 locations in Mumbai and Uttar Pradesh are being searched.

Kundra was arrested in June 2021 on charges of allegedly producing pornographic films. He was later granted bail in September 2021, after spending two months in jail.

Kundra has been under the ED's lens for months, following allegations that he was a key player in a scheme that monetised explicit content streamed via the now-defunct 'Hotshots' application. The app, previously available on platforms like Apple and Google Play, was removed after public and legal scrutiny.

The ED's case alleges that Kundra utilised his company, Armsprime Media Pvt Ltd, to manage the app's operations. It is further claimed that Armsprime facilitated the sale of the app to UK-based Kenrin Pvt Ltd, which became instrumental in uploading and streaming explicit content.

The app allegedly lured aspiring actors under the pretext of web series auditions. However, the actors were reportedly coerced into filming semi-nude or nude scenes against their wishes. The police claimed that Kundra's phone contained WhatsApp chats evidencing financial transactions linked to Kenrin, including discussions about selling 119 adult films for USD 1.2 million.

Kundra has denied wrongdoing, claiming no active involvement in producing pornographic content. He has stated that he was falsely implicated and called himself a "scapegoat" in the case.

The ED is also probing his alleged involvement in a crypto-ponzi scheme spearheaded by Amit Bhardwaj, the mastermind behind the Gain Bitcoin scam. Earlier this year, the ED attached assets worth ₹ 98 crore belonging to Kundra and Shilpa Shetty, claiming they were acquired using proceeds from illicit activities, including the Gain Bitcoin scam.