Shilpa Shetty Withdraws International Travel Request Amid Ongoing Rs 60-Crore Fraud Investigation

Shilpa Shetty and her husband Raj Kundra are facing accusations of defrauding a businessman of Rs 60 crore.

Mumbai:

Actress Shilpa Shetty has officially withdrawn her interim petition requesting permission for international travel amid an ongoing Rs 60-crore fraud investigation involving her and her husband Raj Kundra, the Bombay High Court was informed on Thursday. This withdrawal follows the court expressing significant doubts about granting such permission to the couple.

Representing Shetty, Advocate Niranjan Mundargi informed a bench headed by Chief Justice Shree Chandrashekhar and Justice Gautam Ankhad that the planned trip to the United States for a "professional commitment," reportedly connected to an international video collaboration, "did not materialize," and therefore she was no longer pursuing the travel request. The court has permitted filing a fresh application should the couple wish to travel in the future.

The primary writ petition challenging the Look Out Circular (LOC) issued against Shetty and Kundra has been scheduled for further hearing on November 17.

During proceedings, complainant's counsel Yusuf Iqbal raised objections to an affidavit dated October 14 submitted by Shetty, claiming it was "not notarised in accordance with law." He alleged that Shetty had failed to sign the affidavit in the presence of the notary.

Mundargi stated he had no instructions regarding the notarisation issue, adding, "Be that as it may, the applicant is not intending to travel as of now and seeks liberty to withdraw."

The case originated from a complaint by businessman Deepak Kothari, who alleged he was persuaded to invest Rs 60 crore in Best Deal TV Pvt Ltd, a company associated with Shetty and Kundra, and that these funds were subsequently diverted for personal use.

Earlier this month, the High Court rejected the couple's request to travel to Phuket, noting that the applicants failed to provide credible documentation justifying the trip and highlighting that the investigation into the alleged fraud remains ongoing.