Deposit ₹60 cr first, HC tells Shilpa Shetty, Raj Kundra for considering their plea for foreign travel

The Economic Offences Wing (EOW) of Mumbai Police had, on September 5, issued look-out-circulars against Shilpa Shetty and Raj Kundra in connection with a ₹60.48-crore cheating case

MUMBAI: The Bombay High Court on Wednesday asked Bollywood actor Shilpa Shetty and her businessman husband Raj Kundra to deposit ₹60 crore with the court registry if they wanted their plea for foreign travel to be considered by the court.

Bollywood actor Shilpa Shetty and her businessman husband Raj Kundra (HT PHOTO)

The Economic Offences Wing (EOW) of Mumbai Police had, on September 5, issued look-out-circulars against Shetty and Kundra in connection with a ₹60.48-crore cheating case linked to the couple’s now-defunct online retail firm, Best Deal TV Pvt Ltd. While the lookout notice barred the couple from leaving the country while the probe was underway, they challenged the same in the high court.

On Wednesday, when Shetty and Kundra’s petition came up for hearing, advocate Keral Mehta, representing the couple, said Shetty was required to attend an event in Los Angeles, organised by YouTube from October 21-24. Later, the couple intended to travel to Colombo and Maldives in connection with their hospitality business, Mehta told the court.

The division bench of chief justice Shree Chandrashekhar and justice Gautam Akhand, however, questioned the counsel about the YouTube event and sought to see the invitation sent to Shetty. The lawyer said the invitation was extended to the actor via a phone call and details of the same were discussed between the organisers and Shetty’s team later. A formal invitation would be sent to Shetty once the LOC was suspended, he said.

The court then asked the counsel to provide the phone number of the organisers so as to verify the claim.

“We cannot permit leisure trips. Deposit the entire amount, then we will consider,” the judges said and asked the couple’s counsel to furnish details of the business trip, to prove the cause and submit a detailed affidavit by October 14.

The court said it will pass no immediate order and will consider the couple’s prayers after hearing the complainant, city-based businessman and director of Lotus Capital Financial Services, Deepak Kothari.

In his complaint, based on which a first information report (FIR) was registered in Juhu on August 13, 2025, Kothari alleged that between 2015 and 2023, Shetty and Kundra diverted funds he had provided to expand their business for personal purposes.

Initially, Kundra sought a loan of ₹75 crore at 12% annual interest for his and Shetty’s firm, Best Deal TV, but later persuaded Kothari to treat the transaction as an investment to avoid taxation and secure better returns. Kothari claimed he had transferred the entire amount in tranches through 2015, but soon discovered that insolvency proceedings had been initiated against the company for allegedly cheating another investor. He also alleged that Kundra delayed repayment despite several pleas and reminders, citing the Covid-19 pandemic.

“ ₹60 crore disappeared in just six months, the investigation has found significant details,” advocate Yusuf Iqbal said on Wednesday while opposing the couple’s plea before the court.

Earlier, on October 1, the court had refused to allow the couple to fly to Phuket for a family trip, saying it was not appropriate to grant them relief at that stage. The actor and her husband had also sought permission to travel to Los Angeles, Colombo, and Maldives between October 2-29, and to Dubai and London between December 20 and January 6, 2026.

Kundra faces another criminal case and was arrested on July 19, 2021, on charges of creating and publishing pornographic content. In 2022, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) filed a money laundering case against Kundra in connection with the production and circulation of pornographic content, though he has denied the charges.