Shilpa Shetty, Raj Kundra Withdraw Plea To Travel Abroad After Bombay High Court Seeks Deposit In Alleged Fraud Case

Bollywood Actor Shilpa Shetty and her businessman husband Raj Kundra, today withdrew their interim application seeking to travel abroad, filed before the Bombay High Court.

The couple, facing an FIR in an alleged Rs 60 crore fraud case, had moved the court seeking to quash a Look Out Circular (LOC) issued against them. Subsequently, the court had asked them to deposit the amount before their request to travel would be considered.

A division bench of Chief Justice Shree Chandrashekhar and Justice Gautam Ankhad was hearing a plea to travel to Los Angeles and other foreign countries for business and personal reasons.

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.

At the previous hearing, 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 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 cooperated 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 had cooperated with the probe agency.