Raj Kundra Case: Businessman's Bail Plea To Be Heard By Mumbai Sessions Court Again On August 20

The latest development on the ongoing pornographic case of Shilpa Shetty's husband and businessman Raj Kundra suggests that the Mumbai Sessions Court will be hearing his bail plea again on August 20. According to a news report in News 18, the Court will also listen to the bail application of Kundra's associate Ryan Thorpe. The two had been arrested on July 19 for allegedly producing and distributing pornographic content. Earlier their bail application was denied by a lower magistrate court after which they were sent to judicial custody.

The Bombay High Court on August 7, 2021, had dismissed the plea filed by Raj Kundra and Ryan Thorpe challenging remand orders passed by the Metropolitan Magistrate in a pornography case. As per a news report in LiveLaw. com, Justice AS Gadkari, while pronouncing the order, said, "The remand to custody by the Metropolitan Magistrate is within the conformity of law and does not require any interference."

The Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Sudhir Bhajipale on July 28 had also rejected the bail plea of Raj Kundra and Ryan Thorpe. Later, the businessman filed a petition in Bombay High Court in which he alleged illegal arrest for non-compliance of Section 41 A of the Criminal Procedure Code, which deals with a notice to appear before the investigating officer. He further claimed that he was given this notice only as a formality and arrested soon after. On the other hand, his associate Ryan stated that he was arrested despite accepting the notice and cooperating with investigating team.

Raj Kundra had been booked under sections 420 (cheating), 34 (common intention), 292 and 293 (related to obscene and indecent advertisements and displays) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) besides relevant sections of the IT Act and the Indecent Representation of Women (Prohibition) Act. While rejecting their bail pleas on July 28, the court also said that the police had followed the legal procedure. The magistrate said, "The alleged offence is "detrimental to the health of our society", and "societal interest in the prosecution of a crime which has a wider social dimension cannot be overlooked."