Raj Kundra, UK-based kin 'masterminded' global porn racket: Police

The Mumbai Police on Tuesday made a shocking revelation that arrested businessman Raj Kundra and his brotherinlaw Pradeep Bakshi are the alleged masterminds of an international porn films racket perpetrated through their content production companies based in India and the United KingdomThe husband of Bollywood actress Shilpa Shetty Kundra is the owner of Viaan Industries Ltd jointly promoted by the couple while Bakshi a British citizen who is married to Kundras sister is the Chairman of Kenrin Ltd LondonMumbais Joint Police Commissioner Crime Milind Bharambe said that the two companies had a mobile app called HotShots Digital Entertainment developed by Kenrin LtdThe HotShots app is described as the worlds first 18 app showcasing some of the hottest models and celebs globally in exclusive photos short films and hot videos implying softtohard pornThe free to download app was yanked off by both Apple and Google Playstore for the type of its content The Mumbai Police have recovered incriminating evidences like several HotShot films video clips WhatsApp chats etc during the investigation Bharambe told a crowded media gatheringHe said that the probe into the entire affair of Kundra started in February 2021 with the Malvani police station blowing the lid off by lodging a complaint about pornographic content being produced and shot at some bungalows in the remote Madh Island and its surroundings in the coastal areas of Malad in northwest MumbaiThe police probe made the startling revelations of how new or aspiring actresses coming to Mumbai from all over India were lured with work offers in short films webseries and other moviesThey were called for auditions and after selection made to do bold scenes which went onto seminude and then fullnude shoots Some of them strongly opposed this and had approached the police Bharambe saidAfter making the content the two companies Viaan and Kendrin made them available on mobile apps offering subscriptions akin to the mainstream OTT platforms advertise them on social media all of which were illegal as pornography in any form is banned in IndiaFollowing the investigations by the Malvani Police and later by the Crime BranchCID and Property Cell at least 12 arrests have been made so far including Kundra his techie associate Ryan J Tharpe who were remanded to police custody till July 23 by a Mumbai Magistrate CourtThe nine persons arrested earlier include TV actress Gehna Vashisht 32 Yasmin R Khan 40 Monu Joshi 28 Pratibha Nalavade 33 M Atif Ahmed 24 Dipankar P Khasnavis 38 Bhanusurya Thakur 26 Tanvir Hashmi 40 and Umesh Kamath 39A close confidante of Kundra Kamat was heading the India operations of Viaan which also handled the full operations of HotShots including content creations accounts and other details along with Kendrin Ltd police saidAuthoritative Bollywood and police sources claim that the ongoing probe into the Kundra matter maybe just the tip of the pornoiceberg that flourishes in the entertainment circles aided or abetted by some highprofile model or acting coordinators in south Mumbai and western suburbs with huge stakes involvedThere are dark rumours of even many big celebs modelsactorsactresses being involved in this Sexrave parties are organised at secret locations in India and abroad where the acts are filmed and later packaged as hot content and sold for millions on various media platforms all over the world a top producer told IANS on condition of anonymityThis story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed agencies Midday accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability trustworthiness reliability and data of the text Midday managementmiddaycom reserves the sole right to alter delete or remove without notice the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever