Actor Shilpa Shetty had an argument with 45-year-old husband Raj Kundra and later broke down while her statement was being recorded by the Mumbai crime branch on Friday, officials claimed. Kundra was arrested in the pornographic video case on July 19, and is in the custody of the Mumbai crime branch.
On Friday, after being remanded to further custody, Kundra was taken to his Juhu residence for a house search, where he happened to meet Shetty. Officials also wanted to record the actor’s statement to understand if she has any complicity in the case. During the search, officials claimed to have found a cupboard hidden in a cavity. They have recovered a few files, which are being scrutinised.
Crime branch officials said Shetty was visibly shaken and upset while her statement was being recorded, which lasted for close to two hours. The actor said she did not have any idea of her husband’s activities or what happened in his firm. She claimed that whatever she has known is through the newspapers, and told crime branch officials that she was busy with her own work.
Crime branch officials said they will analyse her statement, and, if required, record it again. Shetty’s statement was necessary as she used to be a director in Kundra’s Viaan Industries, officials said.
The pornographic video case had surfaced in February this year when the property cell of the crime branch raided a bungalow in Madh, Malvani, while a shooting of a film was underway. The investigation revealed that aspiring actors were lured to perform bold scenes by promising them roles in web series and short films. However, after signing contracts, they were forced to perform nude and semi-nude scenes.
Soon after the incident, crime branch officials arrested actor-producer Gehana Vasisth and Umesh Kamat, a former employee of Kundra. During the probe, it was revealed that the office of Viaan industries in Andheri was allegedly being used in production and distribution of adult content, which was then sent to a UK-based company, Kenrin, and was uploaded on an application ‘Hotshots’.