Mumbai, 19 August (H.S.): Businessman Raj Kundra, who was arrested in 2021 on allegations related to the production and distribution of pornographic films, has opened up about the difficult days he spent in Mumbai’s Arthur Road Jail. During an interview, Kundra, who remained in custody for around 67 days, recalled the harsh conditions inside the prison, saying there was so little space that inmates had to sleep on top of one another and that the quality of food was extremely poor. He credited his wife and actress Shilpa Shetty with being his biggest source of strength during the ordeal. Kundra also spoke about divorce rumours that surfaced following his arrest, saying the reports caused him severe emotional distress.
Kundra said that while he was in jail, he learned through the media that Shilpa was allegedly planning to separate from him and seek a divorce. He said the news left him completely devastated. According to Kundra, he could not sleep that night and began experiencing thoughts of ending his life. The following day, when he spoke to Shilpa over the phone, she reassured him that the reports were false and that she stood by him. Kundra said Shilpa encouraged him to remain strong during the difficult period and assured him that she had complete faith in him.
Kundra also revealed that his arrest had a profound psychological and emotional impact on Shilpa. With her husband in custody, she had to shoulder the responsibilities of managing the household as well as other obligations on her own. As his imprisonment made it difficult to run the business, Shilpa decided to shut down the company almost overnight, he said.
According to Kundra, Shilpa also devoted herself fully to his legal battle and helped put together a strong legal team to fight the case. After spending 67 days in custody, Kundra was eventually released from jail. However, since his arrest, he has consistently denied the allegations against him and maintained that he was not involved in any unlawful activities.
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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar