The Bombay High Court on Wednesday said it would consider actor Shilpa Shetty and her husband Raj Kundra’s plea to travel abroad only if they deposit ₹60 crore — the amount allegedly involved in a cheating case registered against them.
A division bench of Chief Justice Shree Chandrashekhar and Justice Gautam Ankhad was hearing the couple’s petition seeking suspension of the Look Out Circular (LOC) issued by the Mumbai Police, which currently restrains them from travelling overseas. The petition seeks suspension of the LOC between October 2025 and January 2026, citing their professional commitments and leisure travel plans.
The case was registered at Juhu police station on August 14 on the basis of a complaint by businessman Deepak Kothari (60). He alleged that between 2015 and 2023, Shetty and Kundra induced him to invest ₹60 crore in their company, Best Deal TV Pvt Ltd, in a loan-cum-investment arrangement. Instead of using the funds for business, the complaint claims the couple diverted the money for their personal use.
During the hearing, the bench made it clear that it would not permit overseas leisure trips when the accused are facing allegations of cheating and fraud. The couple’s lawyer argued that only one proposed trip to Phuket was for leisure and the rest were for professional purposes, adding that both Shetty and Kundra had cooperated fully with the investigation and appeared for questioning.
The court acknowledged their cooperation, noting that it is the reason they have not been arrested so far. It also directed them to produce copies of invitations or other communications for the professional events Shetty claimed she needed to attend.
The bench then said:
“Deposit the entire amount of ₹60 crore, then we will consider the plea.”
The matter has been posted for further hearing on October 14.
Meanwhile, on October 4, a team from the Economic Offences Wing (EOW) recorded Shetty’s statement at her residence over four hours. According to officials, she told investigators that she did not look into the company’s affairs despite being a co-founder and director alongside her husband. The EOW had earlier recorded Kundra’s statement and issued the LOC against both.
Best Deal TV Pvt Ltd operated as a home shopping and online retail platform. The EOW continues to probe the alleged financial irregularities in the case.
