"Baseless Attempt To Link My Name": Shilpa Shetty On Rs 60 Crore Fraud Case

Bollywood actor Shilpa Shetty has called it a "mischievous attempt" to link her name to the Rs 60 crore fraud case after the Mumbai Police added cheating charges against her and her husband, Raj Kundra. The Shetty couple had been charged with cheating, among other offences, based on a complaint by businessman Deepak Kothari.

The case pertains to the now-defunct Best Deal TV Private Limited, a home shopping and online retail platform. A police case was filed against the Shettys, directors of the company, in August after Kothari alleged that the couple duped him of nearly Rs 60 crore in a loan-cum-investment deal.

Shilpa Shetty clarified that she only held a non-executive position in the company and had endorsed some products for the shopping platform for which she hasn't been paid yet.

"I am deeply saddened by the baseless attempt to link my name to this matter. My association with the company was strictly in a non-executive capacity, with no role in its operations, finances, decision-making, or any signing authority. In fact, like several other public figures I had endorsed certain products for the home shopping channel, in a professional capacity, for which payments due to me remain outstanding," she said.

Read: Searches At Shilpa Shetty's Mumbai House In Case Linked To Restaurant: Sources

The Shettys had also loaned nearly Rs 20 crore to the company that remains unpaid, the actor further claimed.

"The mischievous attempt to impute criminal liability on me, particularly after an unexplained delay of nearly nine years is legally unsustainable and contrary to settled principles of law," Shilpa Shetty asserted.

She called it "distressing and unjustified" that her name continues to be dragged in the proceedings, adding that "such unwarranted allegations not only misrepresent facts but also result in a woman's dignity, integrity, and reputation being unfairly trampled upon in the public domain."

She also urged the media to "report responsibly" and asserted that she will seek legal remedies to protect her reputation.

The accusations stem from a complaint by Kothari that the couple had induced him to Rs 60 crore in Best Deal TV Private Limited between 2015 and 2023, but they used it for personal benefits. During investigation, Kundra had claimed that a portion of Rs 60 crore was paid as fees to actors Bipasha Basu and Neha Dhupia.