FACT CHECK: Did Shilpa Shetty’s Mumbai home get raided? Actress breaks silence on alleged Rs 60 crore fraud case: ‘My name continues to be…’

In a major development, the Income Tax officials reportedly conducted a raid at Bollywood actress Shilpa Shetty’s Mumbai residence in connection with a case linked to a Rs 60 crore fraud, involving the Bastian pub. However, the actor denied the claims, with her lawyer clarifying that no such action had taken place and that the developments were being misrepresented. 

Shilpa Shetty denies IT raid at her Mumbai home

Advocate Prashant Patil said, “On behalf of my client Mrs Shilpa Shetty Kundra I can confirm that there is no Income Tax “ Raid “ of whatsoever nature against my client. There is a routine verification by the income tax officials pertaining to follow up with my client Mrs Shilpa Shetty Kundra . Whomsoever has mischievously claimed in public domain that these developments have anything to do with the alleged Economic Offence Wing case shall face legal consequences before the appropriate court of law. At the cost of repetition my client Mrs Shilpa Shetty Kundra states that there is no income tax “ RAID “ at her place, ” he said in a statement.

Shilpa Shetty breaks silence on alleged Rs 60-crore fraud case

Furthermore, Shilpa Shetty has broken her silence amidst the ongoing investigation in an alleged Rs 60-crore fraud case. The actor said she has been unfairly named in the matter and maintained that her role with the concerned company was limited and non-operational. In a statement released by her team, Shetty said she was “deeply saddened” by what she described as a “baseless attempt” to associate her with the case. The actor further clarified that her association with the company was strictly in a non-executive capacity, with no involvement in its day-to-day functioning, finances, or decision-making.”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,” the statement read.

Shetty further alleged that her family had loaned a substantial amount to the company adding that nearly Rs 20 crore was extended as a loan and that the amount remains “unpaid.””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. 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,” she said.

“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,” the statement further read.”With a quashing petition already filed before the Honourable Bombay High Court , I have complete faith in the judicial process and will be seeking appropriate legal remedies to protect my rights and reputation,” the statement added, urging the media to report responsibly and verify facts before publishing, Shetty added, “I respectfully request the media to take note of these facts and report responsibly by verifying the truthfulness of facts.”

For those unaware, in August, a case was filed against Shilpa Shetty, her husband Raj Kundra, and another individual for allegedly cheating a businessman of over Rs 60 crore.The complaint, filed by businessman Deepak Kothari, director of Lotus Capital Financial Services Ltd, claims the incidents took place between 2015 and 2023. Kothari alleged that the couple took the money under the pretext of expanding their business but used it for personal expenses instead.

(With inputs from agencies)