Bombay High Court Orders Shilpa Shetty to Pay Rs 60 Crore Before Seeking Travel Permission

The Bombay High Court has rejected actor Shilpa Shetty's request to travel to Colombo for a YouTube event, stating that she must first address the Rs 60 crore fraud allegations against her and her husband Raj Kundra.

Mumbai authorities continue to enforce a Lookout Circular (LOC) issued by the Economic Offences Wing (EOW), preventing the couple from leaving India without explicit permission from either the court or investigating agency.

Shetty's legal representative informed the court that she needed to attend a YouTube event in Colombo scheduled for October 25-29. When questioned about formal documentation, the lawyer admitted they had only verbal confirmation and would receive an official invitation after securing travel clearance.

The court firmly declined the request, orally stating that the couple should first settle the Rs 60 crore fraud charges before requesting permission to leave the country. The next hearing has been set for October 14.

This ruling follows a similar decision last week when the Bombay High Court denied the couple permission to travel to Phuket, Thailand for a family vacation, citing the serious pending cases against them. The court also refused to suspend the LOC issued by Mumbai Police's EOW.

The legal troubles stem from allegations made by businessman Deepak Kothari, who claims the couple persuaded him to invest Rs 60 crore in their now-defunct company but subsequently used these funds for personal expenses. Kundra has already appeared before the EOW for questioning regarding these allegations.

The case involves Best Deal TV Pvt Ltd, a teleshopping venture that was launched by Shetty, Kundra, and actor Akshay Kumar, which had been promoted as India's first celebrity-based shopping channel before it ceased operations.