The Bombay High Court on Wednesday denied actor Shilpa Shetty permission to travel to Colombo for a YouTube event, ruling that she must first pay Rs 60 crore in pending fraud charges before the matter can be considered.
The court highlighted that a Lookout Circular (LOC) issued by the Economic Offences Wing (EOW) against Shetty and her husband, Raj Kundra, remains in effect. As a result, they are not allowed to travel abroad without prior approval from the court or the investigating agency.
Shilpa Shetty’s lawyer informed the court that she was scheduled to attend a YouTube event in Colombo from October 25 to 29. However, when asked for a formal invitation, the lawyer said they had only had a telephonic discussion and would receive the official invite after travel permission was granted.
The court refused the request and stated that the couple must first pay Rs 60 crore related to the fraud charges before seeking permission to travel. The next hearing in the case has been scheduled for October 14.
This is not the first time the court has denied the couple’s travel request. Last week, permission to travel to Phuket, Thailand, for a family vacation was also refused due to the ongoing serious legal proceedings. The court maintained the LOC issued by the Mumbai Police’s EOW.
The couple faces allegations from businessman Deepak Kothari, who claimed that Shilpa Shetty and Raj Kundra persuaded him to invest Rs 60 crore in their now-defunct company but allegedly used the funds for personal expenses. Raj Kundra has appeared before the EOW for questioning in connection with the case.
The case relates to Best Deal TV Pvt Ltd, a now-defunct teleshopping company launched by Shetty, Kundra, and actor Akshay Kumar, promoted as India’s first celebrity-based shopping channel.
