Raj Kundra waves at paparazzi, greets them with folded hands outside Byculla Jail. Watch

A Mumbai Court on Friday sent actor Shilpa Shetty's husband, businessman Raj Kundra and his associate Ryan Thorpe to police custody till July 27. He was presented before the magistrate at the high court where he challenged his arrest by the Mumbai Police.

As he left the Byculla Jail for the high court, paparazzi gathered outside rushed to click his photos. Raj, who was seen in the same T-shirt as earlier this week, was seen wearing a black mask on his face. The police officials put him in their car and Raj was seen waving at the paparazzi from inside it. Later, he also greeted them with folded hands.

Raj was arrested in the case of alleged production and distribution of pornographic films through apps. He told the magistrate that the videos on his apps might be described as "lascivious" but do not show "explicit sexual acts".

Raj Kundra arrested on July 19 by Mumbai Police. A magistrate's court remanded him in police custody till July 27. The petition sought quashing of the lower court's order.

Also read: When Shilpa Shetty's husband Raj Kundra said he 'hated poverty': 'Dad worked as bus conductor, mom in factory'

The material which the police claim to be pornographic did not “depict direct explicit sexual acts and sexual intercourse but shows material in the form of short movies which are lascivious or appeal to the prurient interest of persons at best”, Kundra's plea contended. Hence section 67A of the Information Technology Act (publishing sexually explicit content) cannot be invoked, and at the most it would attract section 67 (publishing lascivious content), it said.

On July 19, 2021, the police carried out a search at his office and requested him to go to the police station to record statement, he said. "The respondent (police) arrested the petitioner in the police station where he was called under the garb of recording his statement,” the plea alleged.

(With PTI inputs)