Under-fire Kundra skips Fight Night

With their Super Fight League in the final stages of its second season, Kundra and Shetty have been caught in a controversy over alleged involvement in betting in the Indian Twenty20 league. Kushal Phatarpekar reports.

It was in April this year that British-Indian businessman Raj Kundra and his wife, actress Shilpa Shetty, inaugurated a pan-India programme of self-defence classes to promote their mixed-martial arts tournament, the Super Fight League (SFL).

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With the SFL in the final stages of its second season, Kundra and Shetty have been caught in a controversy over alleged involvement in betting in the Indian Twenty20 league.

Friday night, which is the broadcast day for the SFL —Fight Night, was to see the couple make a public appearance.

The duo, however gave the event a miss. Incidentally this is the first time in the two years of the SFL that Kundra has skipped the ‘Fight Night’.

According to an organiser, Kundra was scheduled to make an appearance but did not show up. Shilpa also stayed away from the event.

There were only a few guests in the VIP box, some of his close friends and models. However, there were no close business associates of Kundra.

While the main organisers stayed away, the show went on for the fighters who were their usual aggressive selves.

The audience at one end of the arena though seemed engrossed in the action.

However his absence was felt as he is known to be hands on when it comes to the operations in the SFL.

“He makes sure things are in place and guests are taken care of and usually arrives an hour before the event starts. It was surprising that he did not show up,” a source closely associated with the SFL said.

Kundra meanwhile, issued a statement maintaining that he had no role in any illegal activities and that he had done no wrong.

Shetty too tweeted saying the allegations were hurtful and that she had not placed any bets.