SC protects Poonam Pandey from arrest in porn video case

The Supreme Court of India granted protection to Bollywood actress Poonam Pandey on Tuesday in the porn films racket case, in which Raj Kundra, husband of actress Shilpa Shetty, is a primary accused.

An appeal filed by Pandey challenging a Bombay High Court order that dismissed her anticipatory bail petition was served on the Maharashtra government by Justices Vineet Saran and B.V. Nagarathna.

The court's order stated,"Issue notice.. In the meanwhile, no coercive action shall be taken against the petitioner."

Pandey's case was rejected by the Bombay High Court in November last year. Against the high court order, she petitioned the Supreme Court.

In the FIR, Pandey is also listed as an accused along with actor Sherlyn Chopra.

As part of a case related to porn film rackets, the Supreme Court granted Kundra 4 weeks protection from arrest on December 15.

Previously, the Bombay High Court had declined to entertain Kundra's anticipatory bail application when the Mumbai Police had filed an FIR against him in connection with the porn film racket case.

Having been denied relief by the high court, Kundra approached the top court.

Kundra attempted to obtain anticipatory bail from the sessions court, which refused to grant it. A few days later, he filed a case with the Bombay High Court claiming he was framed.

Kundra has been charged under the Indian Penal Code, the Indecent Representation of Women (Prevention) Act, and the Information Technology Act for allegedly distributing sexually explicit videos, according to the cyber cell of the Mumbai Police.

The alleged illegal videos were not created, published or transmitted by Kundra, he claimed. Mumbai Police arrested him in July last year in connection with a separate case where he was accused of distributing pornography through an app. Kundra had been granted bail in September.