Shilpa Shetty Calls Fraud Case After 9 Years 'Unsustainable'

Actress Shilpa Shetty has responded to allegations of fraud in connection with a Rs 60 crore cheating case involving Best Deal TV Pvt. Ltd., a company that is now defunct and which she had ties to. In a statement released Friday, Shetty referenced the Bhagavad Gita and stated that her family had loaned the company Rs 20 crore, an amount that remains outstanding.

Shetty also noted that Best Deal TV has not paid her for professional endorsements she made for the company's products. This statement comes as Shetty is already dealing with a separate police case concerning her restaurant, Bastian.

Shetty's complete statement addressed the accusations directly: "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 continued, "I want to put it on record that almost Rs 20 crore has been loaned to the company by us as a family and the said amount remains unpaid."

Shetty further stated, "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."

"Despite these facts, my name continues to be unnecessarily dragged into the proceedings, which is both distressing and unjustified. 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 added.

Quoting the Bhagavad Gita, she said, "Failing to oppose injustice when it is your duty, is itself Adharma." Shetty concluded by stating that she has filed a quashing petition with the Bombay High Court and trusts the judicial process to protect her rights and reputation. She also requested the media to report responsibly and verify the facts.

The fraud case was filed at Juhu police station on August 14 of this year. Businessman Deepak Kothari alleges that Shetty and her husband, Raj Kundra, defrauded him of nearly Rs 60 crore through a loan-cum-investment deal. Kothari, who is a director at Lotus Capital Financial Services, claims that between 2015 and 2023, Shetty and Kundra diverted funds intended for business expansion for their personal use. Kothari was reportedly introduced to the couple by Rajesh Arya. At the time of the alleged fraud, Shetty and Kundra controlled 87.6% of Best Deal TV's shares.

Shetty resigned from her position as a director of Best Deal TV in September 2016. By 2017, insolvency proceedings had begun against the company due to defaults on another agreement. Earlier this year, Prithviraj Kothari, managing director of Riddhi Siddhi Bullions, also accused the couple of defrauding an investor in a gold scheme.

Raj Kundra was arrested in 2021 in connection with a case involving adult content and was later released on bail. He is also currently facing a separate money laundering investigation related to Bitcoin fraud.