The Economic Offences Wing (EOW) of the Mumbai Police has summoned Bollywood actor Shilpa Shetty's husband Raj Kundra for questioning in connection with a Rs 60 crore cheating case, sources said.
Mr Raj was initially summoned on Wednesday but the date was later revised to September 15 after he sought more time to appear for the probe, the sources added.
Besides, summons have also been sent to a National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) auditor, whom the complainant earlier approached, for questioning in the matter.
The development came days after the EOW issued a Lookout Circular against the couple, who make frequent international trips, to refrain them from leaving the country.
Sixty-year-old businessman Deepak Kothari, a resident of Juhu, has lodged a complaint, accusing Ms Shetty and Mr Kundra of duping him of nearly Rs 60 crore in a loan-cum-investment deal. Mr Kothari is a director of a non-banking financial company (NBFC) named Lotus Capital Finance Services.
According to the complainant, Mr Kothari came in contact with Mr Kundra and his actor wife through one Rajesh Arya.
Mr Kundra and Ms Shetty were directors of Best Deal TV Private Limited, a home shopping and online retail platform. Through Mr Arya, they sought a loan of Rs 75 crore, but to avoid higher taxation, they showed it as an investment. They also promised monthly returns and repayment of the principal amount.
The complainant alleged he transferred Rs 31.9 crore in April 2015 under a share subscription agreement, followed by another Rs 28.53 crore under a supplementary agreement in September 2015.
Despite providing a personal guarantee in April 2016, Ms Shetty resigned as a director of the company in September that year.
Mr Kothari later found that insolvency proceedings were on against the company in 2017 for defaulting on another agreement. The victim alleged he provided a loan for business, but the money was allegedly diverted for personal use by the accused persons.
Earlier, a statement issued by the couple's lawyer said his clients deny all the allegations that are purely civil in nature and have been adjudicated by the NCLT Mumbai on October 4, 2024. "This is an old transaction, wherein the company went into financial distress and eventually got entangled in a long legal battle at the NCLT," the statement said.
There is no criminality involved and our auditors have submitted all the necessary supporting documents from time to time, as requested by the EOW, including detailed cash flow statements, it added.
This FIR has been registered in Juhu Police Station.
Complainant Deepak Kothari (60), director of Lotus Capital Financial Services, has alleged that between 2015 and 2023, he had invested Rs 60.48 crore in Shilpa-Raj's company Best Deal TV Pvt Ltd in the name of expanding the business.
Kothari alleges that instead of investing this money in the business, Shilpa and Raj spent it for their personal use.
