Shilpa Shetty and Raj Kundra Seek to Quash Rs 60-Crore Cheating Case in Bombay High Court

Actor Shilpa Shetty and her businessman husband Raj Kundra have approached the Bombay High Court, requesting to quash the Rs 60-crore cheating case filed against them by Mumbai police's economic offences wing.

In addition to seeking dismissal of the FIR, the couple has also requested the court to prevent police from filing a chargesheet and taking any coercive action against them while their pleas are being heard.

Their petitions were heard on Monday by a bench comprising Chief Justice Shree Chandrashekar and Justice Gautam Ankhad.

The court instructed the couple to provide copies of their petitions to the complainant, Deepak Kothari, and scheduled the next hearing for November 20.

Kothari had alleged that from 2015 to 2023, the couple persuaded him to invest Rs 60 crore in their company, Best Deal TV Pvt Ltd, but used the funds for personal purposes instead.

In their defense, the couple claimed that the FIR was based on false and distorted facts, and was "maliciously filed with an ulterior and malafide motive to extort money".

Shetty stated in her plea that she had limited involvement with the company and was not part of its daily operations.

The couple maintained that the dispute was civil and contractual in nature, stemming from a failed business venture and investment losses.

"The collapse of the company was due to unforeseen economic circumstances, particularly demonetisation in November 2016, which severely impacted cash-based business," according to their pleas.

They further emphasized that the financial losses were business-related and not the result of fraudulent activity or criminal conspiracy.