Businessman Raj Kundra, arrested in an alleged porn films racket, had plans of starting a new application to livestream pornographic content, media reports stated quoting Mumbai Police sources. Kundra, the husband of Bollywood actor Shilpa Shetty, was on Monday night arrested by the Mumbai crime branch in a case that involved the alleged creation and publishing of porn films through some mobile applications.
Kundra had allegedly suggested a ‘Plan B’ after Google Play took down the app ‘Hotshots’ last year. Google had pulled down the OTT app citing policy violations. The probe revealed that Kundra and his brother-in-law Pardeep Bakshi planned to stream content on a new app called ‘Bollyfame’ after ‘Hotshots’ was taken down, reports PTI.
At least four screenshots of purported WhatsApp chats have surfaced on social media in which Kundra was allegedly seen discussing about the ‘Plan B’ with another member on ‘H ACCOUNTS’ group. In one of the screenshots from the group, a member told Kundra, “till BF (Bollyfame) is up let’s find out way to sustain HS (Hotshots).”
Police also found that the group planned to remove all bold content from ‘Hotshots’ and appeal for Playstore to put the app back up.
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Kundra’s Viaan Industries had a tie-up with London-based company Kenrin, which owns ‘Hotshots’, the OTT platform allegedly involved in publishing pornographic films, police had said on Tuesday. Kenrin is owned by Bakshi, Kundra’s brother-in-law.
Mumbai police have described Kundra as the ‘key conspirator’ in the case, which was first registered on February 4 in Mumbai’s Malwani police station. On February 7, police had arrested Kundra’s manager Umesh Kamat. In the course of investigation, police have arrested 9 people other than Kundra and Kamat.
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Kundra has been booked under sections 420 (cheating), 34 (common intention), 292 and 293 (related to obscene and indecent advertisements and displays) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) besides relevant sections of the IT Act and the Indecent Representation of Women (Prohibition) Act.