The Mumbai Police's Economic Offences Wing (EOW) is likely to approach actors Neha Dhupia and Bipasha Basu, and producer-director Ekta Kapoor for information on payments received from a now defunct company that was run by actor Shilpa Shetty and her businessman husband Raj Kundra.
The development comes at a time when the couple has already been charged and is facing a probe over an alleged Rs 60 crore fraud pertaining to Best Deal TV Pvt Ltd. The company was launched by Shetty, Kundra and actor Akshay Kumar and touted to be India's first celebrity-based teleshopping channel.
According to sources, the EOW is planning to seek details from Ms Kapoor, Ms Dhupia and Ms Basu on the amount of money they received in exchange for promoting the company. "We will also ask them how the money was disbursed. Letters will soon be sent to them," one of the sources said.
The probe team believes that Best Deal TV Pvt Ltd paid several celebrities for branding and promotional purposes and it is now important to examine how these payments were made and whether any irregularities occurred, the source added. "The company's funds were allegedly misused, so every transaction is being scrutinised," the source said.
The EOW's case was registered on a complaint against the high-profile couple Shetty and Kundra and some unidentified persons for allegedly duping a businessman of Rs 60.4 crore in a loan-cum-investment deal related to Best Deal TV Pvt Ltd.
The complaint was filed by businessman Deepak Kothari (60), who is a director at a non-banking financial company named Lotus Capital Finance Services.
A second source said the EOW has sought copies of the shows and promotional videos that were aired on Best Deal TV, in which the celebrities participated. Kundra, however, claimed that all the CDs and hard disks were seized by the Crime Branch's Property Cell earlier in connection with a porn case against him. "The EOW is preparing to obtain the material from the crime branch," the source said.
Earlier this month, Lookout Circulars (LOCs) were issued against Shetty and Kundra.
An LOC is a notice which is used by authorities to stop someone from leaving the country or to keep track of their movements. It alerts immigration and border officials to watch for that person.
Last week, Kundra, who was quizzed for over five hours in the fraud case, said he has done nothing wrong and hopes that the truth will eventually come to light.
