The Enforcement Directorate has intensified its probe into a p*rnography case involving businessman Raj Kundra, husband of actor Shilpa Shetty. Raj, who was recently summoned to appear before the agency, reportedly skipped the hearing, leading to a fresh summons being issued. This development follows reports of a raid conducted at his residence.
Shilpa Shetty‘s Raj Kundra was summoned in connection with the Enforcement Directorate’s first money laundering case linked to a pornography scandal exposed by the Mumbai Police in February 2021. Now, as per IANS, he did not appear for the hearing, requesting more time. As a result, a fresh summons has been issued, directing him to appear for questioning in the ongoing probe on December 4.
Raj Kundra informed the Enforcement Directorate that he was unable to appear for questioning on Monday and requested more time, according to sources within the agency. Meanwhile, actress Gehana Vasisth has also been summoned for questioning on December 9 in connection with the case, as the investigation continues into the alleged p*rnography scam.
This development comes just two days after the Enforcement Directorate conducted raids at multiple locations linked to Raj as part of its investigation into money laundering connected to the production and distribution of p*rnographic content. The ED’s actions follow a series of raids on Friday at 15 locations in Maharashtra and Uttar Pradesh, where several bank accounts were frozen and cyber-digital devices seized.
Searches took place in Mumbai, Kanpur, Gorakhpur, and Kushinagar, targeting individuals who allegedly provided technical support to p*rn apps in exchange for payment. The agency is now examining the records and documents seized during the raids, focusing on tracing the flow of the illicit proceeds both within India and internationally, in an effort to identify the ultimate beneficiaries of the crime.
For those unaware, Kundra was detained by the Mumbai Police in July 2021 over allegations of producing and distributing p*rnographic content, but he was later granted bail. He has consistently denied the accusations, claiming he was made a ‘scapegoat’ in the case.
Earlier this year, he came under the Enforcement Directorate’s radar as part of a money laundering probe into the Gain Bitcoin Ponzi Scam. The ED seized assets worth Rs 98 crore, including a residential flat in Juhu, Mumbai, a bungalow in Pune, and various equity holdings.
The legal troubles date back to 2018, when the ED initiated an investigation into Amit Bharadwaj’s Ponzi scheme.
