Businessman and Shilpa Shetty’s husband Raj Kundra, 45, was arrested by Mumbai Police on Monday (July 19) for allegedly being a “key conspirator in a case associated to the manufacturing and publishing of pornographic movies by means of cell apps. Production of porn is illegitimate in India. At the centre of the controversy is the HotShots app, which has now been faraway from Google and Apple app retailer.
What is the HotShots app?
The HotShots app is reportedly described as the “world’s first 18+ app” showcasing some of the “hottest” fashions and celebs globally in unique images, quick movies and scorching movies – implying soft-to-hard porn.
The app’s Android Application Package (APK) remains to be accessible on a number of web sites. The app’s description on shops learn, “HD videos & short movies with unmatched exposure” and promised “private content from hot photoshoots, short movies, and experience of the lifestyle of celebrities from all over the world”. Moreover, the app additionally allegedly supplied companies like dwell communication with “some of the hottest models around the world”.
Subscription and contests:
The unique content on the app was solely accessible for paying subscribers solely, as per media stories. Also, going by some social media posts it appeared as if the app additionally hosted a Miss HotShot contest 2019, with girls asking netizens to obtain the app and vote for them.
The Raj Kundra case:
Raj Kundra and his brother-in-law Pradeep Bakshi are the alleged masterminds of a world porn movies racket perpetrated by means of their content manufacturing corporations primarily based in India and the United Kingdom. Kundra is the proprietor of Viaan Industries Ltd, collectively promoted by him and his spouse Shilpa Shetty, whereas Bakshi – a British citizen, who’s married to Kundra’s sister – is the chairman of London-based Kenrin Ltd.
As per the Mumbai Police, the Crime Branch registered a case associated to pornographic movies in February. It was allegedly discovered that new actors had been promised roles in net sequence and quick tales and had been requested to do daring scenes in auditions. “They (young aspiring actresses) were called for auditions and after selection, were made to do bold scenes, which went onto semi-nude and then full-nude shoots. Some of them strongly opposed this and had approached the police,” Joint Commissioner of Police (Crime), Milind Bharambe mentioned.
“During a detailed investigation, it was found that Raj Kundra’s company, Viaan, had a tie-up with a London-based company Kenrin that owns the controversial mobile application Hotshots. All nude content created in Mumbai was published on Hotshots, which was operated from Mumbai,” he added.
After making the content, the two corporations — Viaan and Kenrin — apparently made them accessible on cell apps, providing subscriptions akin to the mainstream OTT platforms, promote them on social media, all of which had been unlawful as pornography in any kind is banned in India.
The police additionally mentioned that after taking the courtroom’s permission, the workplaces of Raj Kundra had been searched and some clips had been discovered as properly.
(With Agency inputs)
