Porn racket: Supplementary Chargesheet filed against Raj Kundra by Mumbai Police

In the porn production and distribution case, the Crime Branch of Mumbai Police on Wednesday, September 15, submitted a 1500-page supplementary chargesheet before the Sessions Court. In the supplementary chargesheet, the Crime Branch has named actor Shilpa Shetty's husband and businessman Raj Kundra, his companion Ryan Tharp among others, as part of the racket in which 'struggling actors were lured into getting semi-nude, nude pictures and videos shot' which were later uploaded on Apps liked Hotshots. 

Chargesheet filed against Raj Kundra, Ryan Tharp in Porn racket

In the chargesheet filed, the Police have contended, "The accused taking advantage of the financial problems of the struggling actors of the industry, lured them into semi-nude as well as nude shootings for the porn videos. The porn videos were then uploaded on various websites as well as mobile applications." The police further added, "From this, the accused earned money." 

Raj Kundra and Ryan Tharp among others have been booked under several sections of the Indian Penal Code and provisions of the Information Technology Act and the Indecent Representation of Women (Prohibition) Act. While Raj Kundra was arrested on July 19, Ryan Tharp was taken into custody the next day, on July 20 in relation to the said racket. 

The Crime Branch, in the elaborate chargesheet, has also asserted that the accused tried to destroy evidence by deleting the WhatsApp chats as well as the mails. The Crime Branch had formed a Special Investigation Team to probe the porn racket. The SIT, as per reports, has so far gone through all the FIRs that have been registered in the porn racket. 

Last month, Kundra and Tharp had filed a bail application in the Bombay High Court in connection with the case, after a session court declined his application seeking pre-arrest bail. In his plea, Kundra had maintained that another accused in the case was granted bail and thus, he too should be granted bail on parity. However, the Bombay High Court had dismissed the application, after the police outlined that the businessman and his associate may try to influence the investigation. 

Both Kundra and Tharp are presently lodged in the jail under judicial custody.