Bollywood star Shilpa Shetty's husband Raj Kundra has been arrested as "key conspirator" in a pornography case according to Mumbai police. His aide Ryan Thorpe was also arrested.

"There was a case registered with the Crime Branch Mumbai in February 2021 about creation of pornographic films and publishing them through some Apps. We've arrested Mr Raj Kundra in this case on 19/7/21 as he appears to be the key conspirator of this. We have sufficient evidence regarding this," Mumbai police commissioner said in a statement on Monday evening as reported by Indian media outlets.

According to the police, they have made 9 arrests in this case.

The case was registered on February 4 after a woman complained to the police about being forced to participate in a porn film in exchange for an acting role, a police officer quoted by PTI said.

"On that basis, the FIR was registered and the case transferred to the Crime Branch. Earlier also, we had registered cases related to pornography in which an actress and some other persons were made accused," the officer was quoted in Bollywood Hungama as saying on Monday evening.

The 45-year-old Kundra, who is a businessman, faces charges like cheating and "obscene and indecent advertisements and displays". Charges under the IT Act and the Indecent Representation of Women (Prohibition) Act have also been listed against him.

He could face five to seven years in jail.

This is not the first time Kundra finds himself embroiled in controversy. He has been linked to IPL match-fixing charges.

Now he's accused of setting up a company that streams porn films in the UK that would prevent them from cyber laws in India. Laws against publishing "obscene material" are strict in India although it is not illegal to watch pornography in private.