Raj Kundra could get bail and be out of jail by September month-end?

MUMBAI: If the Mumbai Crime Branch or the Maharashtra Cyber Cell do not seek Raj Kundra’s custody in other cases, the NRI businessman and husband of Bollywood actor Shilpa Shetty could be out of jail by this month end.

Raj Kundra was arrested on 19th July late evening by the Property Cell of the Mumbai police Crime Branch in a case pertaining to publishing and distribution of pornography via his app HotShots, which was owned by his company Hotshots Digital Pvt Ltd, a part of Vian Industries Ltd.

He later on sold the APP to another company Kenrin Ltd, based in the UK and partly owned by his brother-in-law Pardeep Bakshi and himself.

His IT head Ryan J Thorpe was arrested the next day.

As per law, the police have to file a charge-sheet within 60 days in this case (90 days in very serious cases like rape or murder), which means the charge-sheet has to be filed before this month end.

The cops had filed a 4000-page charge-sheet in the month of March against the nine arrested in February including actor Gehana Vasisth and Kundra’s PA Umesh Kamat.

ALSO READ: Mumbai Crime Branch files charge-sheet against Raj Kundra in porn case

Three individuals including Kundra (unknown accused) were shown as wanted in the earlier charge-sheet filed in March.

The police will now file a supplementary charge-sheet in the matter against Kundra and Thorpe, before the additional chief metropolitan magistrate at the 37th court at Esplande in Mumbai city – also known as the Killa court, because the old, British-era structure resembles a fort.

After the charge-sheet is filed his lawyers will file for regular bail in the Magistrate’s court, which is most likely to be granted, as filing of charge-sheet means the investigation against the accused has been wrapped up.

In case the charge-sheet is not filed within 60 days, the cops will have to approach the court with a valid reason in writing for an extension and Kundra could be liable for what is known as ‘default bail’.

Two more persons, Kundra’s brother-in-law Pardeep Bakshi who is based in the UK and Nuefliks owner Arvind Kumar Srivastava aka Yash Thakur are absconding and will be shown as wanted.

Srivastava is slated to be in Singapore and working for an IT company there. The Mumbai police have issued a lookout circular and are making attempts to bring him back to India to face trial in the case.

Along with Kundra, two more associates were arrested, but in a different case.