"Deposit ₹60 Crore First": Bombay High Court Tells Shilpa Shetty & Raj Kundra In Plea Seeking Permission For Foreign Trip

The Bombay High Court on Wednesday (October 8) asked Actor Shilpa Shetty and her businessman husband Raj Kundra to deposit Rs 60 crore if they wanted the court to consider their plea to travel to Los Angeles and other foreign countries for business and personal reasons.

This comes after the couple moved the High Court seeking quashing of a Look Out Circular (LOC) issued against them over an FIR pertaining to an alleged Rs 60 crore fraud.

The FIR had been lodged at the behest of businessman Deepak Kothari, who alleged that Shilpa and Raj conspired to cheat him of more than Rs 60 crores. He has alleged that the money given in the name of business expansion between 2015 and 2023 was actually squandered on personal expenses.

A division bench of Chief Justice Shree Chandrashekhar and Justice Gautam Ankhad was hearing the couple's plea, which had given a proposed plan of foreign trips from October 2 to October 29 and then from December 20 to January 6, 2026.

When the matter was called out, the counsel appearing for the couple informed the judges that their trip to Phuket from October 2 to October 5 is now not possible. However, she informed that Shetty has to now attend an event organised by YouTube in Los Angeles from October 21 to October 24, then travel for another event to Colombo on October 25 and finally visit the Maldives for a business trip from October 26 fo 29 along with her husband.

However, the counsel representing the complainant pointed out, "As per my knowledge, the applicants (Kundra & Shetty) are foreign nationals and thus there is an apprehension (of not returning to India)."

The judges, however, enquired from Shetty's counsel about the YouTube's event, seeking details of communications exchanged between her and the organisers. But the counsel responded that her client has received calls for the same.

"Then furnish the numbers, we will get it verified," CJ Chandrashekhar remarked.

The counsel further pointed out that the couple has fully co-operated with the probe team and thus if permitted they will abide by the conditions of the court.

CJ Chandrashekhar, however, clarified that the couple was not arrested in the case only because they have co-operated with the probe agency.

"You deposit the entire amount in this court and we will consider the request then, but subject to their arguments," CJ made it clear.

With this, the bench adjourned the hearing in the matter till October 14.