Bombay High Court Denies Shilpa Shetty and Raj Kundra Permission to Travel Abroad Amid Serious Legal Cases

Shilpa Shetty and Raj Kundra had requested the court's authorization for a brief three-day family holiday to Phuket, Thailand.

The Bombay High Court has rejected the travel request from actor Shilpa Shetty and her husband, Raj Kundra, who sought to vacation in Phuket, Thailand for three days with their family. The court cited the serious nature of pending cases against the couple as the reason for denial.

Additionally, the high court declined to suspend the lookout circular that was issued by Mumbai Police's Economic Offences Wing.

During the proceedings before Chief Justice Shree Chandrashekhar and Justice Gautam Ankhad, the couple's legal representative emphasized that Kundra has consistently cooperated with investigating agencies. However, the government's counsel argued against providing any relief to the couple.

The court has scheduled the next hearing to take place after a two-week period.

The legal challenges for the couple stem from allegations made by businessman Deepak Kothari, who claims they persuaded him to invest Rs 60 crore in their now-defunct company. Kothari alleges these funds were subsequently diverted for personal use.

In relation to these allegations, Kundra has appeared before the Economic Offences Wing for interrogation.

The lookout circular currently in effect prevents the couple from traveling internationally. In their application to the court, they had requested a relaxation of these restrictions, explaining that Kundra requires frequent international travel for his business operations, while Shetty needs to fulfill professional commitments overseas as an actor.

Their petition argued, "The applicants have a fundamental right to carry on their business and/or profession and denying such opportunities (to travel abroad) would amount to violation of their fundamental rights." Despite this argument, the court determined not to grant the requested relief.