Shilpa Shetty, Raj Kundra Seek Quashing of Rs 60-Cr FIR

Bollywood star Shilpa Shetty and her businessman husband Raj Kundra have moved the Bombay High Court seeking to dismiss a Rs 60-crore cheating case filed against them by the Economic Offences Wing of Mumbai Police. The couple has also requested the court to restrain police from filing a chargesheet or taking any coercive action while their pleas are under consideration.

Court Hearing and Next Steps

The matter was heard on Monday by a bench led by Chief Justice Shree Chandrashekar and Justice Gautam Ankhad. The court instructed the couple to provide copies of their petition to the complainant, Deepak Kothari, and scheduled the next hearing for November 20.

Allegations and Complaint

Kothari's complaint claims that between 2015 and 2023, the couple persuaded him to invest Rs 60 crore in their company, Best Deal TV Pvt Ltd, but allegedly used the funds for personal purposes.

Couple’s Defense

In their plea, Shetty and Kundra assert that the FIR is based on false and distorted facts and was filed with a “malicious motive to extort money.” Shilpa Shetty clarified that she had minimal involvement in the day-to-day operations of the company and was associated with it only for a limited period.

The couple further argued that the dispute is essentially civil and contractual, resulting from a failed business venture and investment loss. They cited unforeseen economic circumstances, including the demonetisation of November 2016, which significantly affected cash-based businesses, as the primary cause of the company’s collapse.

They have urged the Bombay High Court to quash the FIR and prevent police from proceeding with any coercive action until their pleas are fully heard. The couple maintains that the losses were purely business-related and deny any fraudulent activity or criminal conspiracy.