After reports emerged on Friday stating that India's Enforcement Directorate (ED) had launched a raid on Bollywood actor Shilpa Shetty and her husband Raj Kundra's house, Shetty's lawyer issued a statement refuting her links to the investigation.
As reported by the Hindustan Times, Shetty's advocate Prashant Patil's statement read, "There have been reports in the media saying that my client Mrs Shilpa Shetty Kundra has been raided by the Enforcement Directorate. These reports are not true and are misleading. As per my instructions, there is no Enforcement Directorate raid on Mrs Shilpa Shetty Kundra as she has nothing to do with any offence of whatsoever nature," the statement read.
Whilst Shetty may not have been the target of the ED investigation, Indian news agency PTI has confirmed that the raid related to Kundra's links to alleged pornographic distribution and money laundering. Around 15 locations in Mumbai and other cities in Uttar Pradesh have been searched. Taking to his Instagram Stories, Kundra broke his silence after the raid to note that he has been cooperating with the authorities.
"To whom it may concern, while the media seems to have a flair for drama, let's set the record straight: I'm fully complying with the ongoing investigation that has been unfolding for the last four years," penned the businessman. "As for the claims of 'associates', 'pornography' and 'money laundering', let's just say that no amount of sensationalism will cloud the truth, in the end, justice will prevail!"
Kundra concluded his statement by appealing to the media to leave Shetty out of their reports. "A note to the media: It's unacceptable to repeatedly drag my wife's name into unrelated matters. Please respect the boundaries!"
According to reports, Kundra is also being investigated for Bitcoin fraud. Earlier this year, the ED had attached assets worth INR980 million to both Shetty and Kundra in a cryptocurrency case, although the couple obtained relief from the Bombay High Court against the order.
Kundra's legal troubles have been ongoing since 2021. In July of that year, he was arrested for his alleged involvement in creating and distributing adult content through subscription-based mobile apps, including Hotshopts, an app developed by Kundra's company Armsprime Media Private Limited. The app was later sold to his brother-in-law Pradeep Bakshi's UK-based company, Kenrin. Meanwhile in 2022, the ED filed a money laundering case against Kundra in connection with the production and circulation of pornographic content. Kundra has denied all charges.
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