Raj Kundra porn case: Mumbai court rejects anticipatory bail of Actor-Model Gehana Vasisth

In a recent development in the Raj Kundra pornography case, a Mumbai sessions court on August 12 rejected the anticipatory bail application of Gehana Vasisth alias Vandana Tiwari. The order is in regards to the FIR registered - now transferred to Mumbai Crime Branch - against the actor and model at the Malvani Police Station in a racket. 

The Mumbai Police has lodged a case against 3-4 producers of businessman Raj Kundra's company in connection with the porn film racket. Gehna was arrested in the same case on February 7 this year. It was via Gehna Vasisth that the investigating authority got to know about Umesh Kamat, the key accused in the case and it was through Kamat, that Raj Kundra’s links to the case were found out.    

Gehana Vasisth had shared the name of Umesh Kamat in the case through which Raj Kundra’s links to the racket were found. She was part of the initial series of detention made by the Crime Branch earlier this year, with actor Roya Khan alias Yasmeen, photographer Monu Sharma, actors Bhanu Thakur, Arish Shaikh, and creative director Pratibha Nalawade.

Raj Kundra arrested in pornographic racket case

Shilpa Shetty's husband was arrested by the Mumbai Police Crime Branch on July 19 in a pornographic content streaming racket. It was subsequently revealed, along with key accused in the case and close aide of Kundra, Ryan Thorpe, who also has been arrested, lured small-time artists and models into doing bold scenes by promising a break in web series before the shots got obscene, 'against their wishes.’

Kundra set up Armsprime Media Pvt Ltd, which, through London-based Kenrin Pvt Ltd, bought the Hot Shots app to upload the unlawful content online. The police stated that numerous web applications were being used to circulate videos on online platforms and applications. The police alleged that they struck a $1.2 million contract for 121 videos and transactions of which are being probed.

Meanwhile, Shilpa Shetty's statement was also recorded by the police in the case. The actor stated that she was not aware of the exact functioning of the Hotshots App, the platform through which the pornographic material was allegedly aired. She claimed that Raj Kundra’s brother-in-law Pradeep Bakshi was involved in the streaming. She asserted it was not pornographic content that Raj Kundra was associated with, but content that she termed as erotica. 

Raj Kundra on 14-day judicial custody

Raj Kundra and Ryan Thorpe were sent to 14-day judicial custody by a Mumbai court on July 27, after two extensions of their police custody. The Mumbai Crime Branch had told the court that several new facts had emerged during the course of the investigation. Some of the important details of the case came to light through international transactions from Raj Kundra's bank accounts for which forensic auditors have been appointed. Raj Kundra's Citibank and Kotak Mahindra bank’s Debit accounts had been frozen following the probe.

The Mumbai police found various mobile applications including the Hotshots app that were used to circulate porn. Its content was produced and accounts were handled by an entity named after his son, Viaan, owned by Raj Kundra.

With inputs from ANI