A case has been filed against Bollywood actor Shilpa Shetty, her husband Raj Kundra, and another person for allegedly cheating a businessman of over Rs 600 million (Dh25.15 million approximately).

The complaint, filed by businessman Deepak Kothari, director of Lotus Capital Financial Services Ltd, claims the incident 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.

According to Kothari, in 2015, Shetty and Kundra approached him through a mediator seeking a Rs 750 million loan for their company, Best Deal TV Pvt. Ltd., which promoted lifestyle products and ran an online shopping platform. The proposed interest rate was 12 per cent.

Later, they reportedly asked him to provide the funds as an "investment" instead of a loan, assuring him of monthly returns and repayment of principal.

Kothari claimed he transferred Rs 319.5 million in April 2015 under a share subscription agreement, and another Rs 285.3 million in September 2015 under a supplementary agreement. The total amount was credited to Best Deal TV's bank accounts.

Repeated attempts to recover the funds allegedly failed, and Kothari accused the couple of "dishonestly using" the money for personal benefit.

India's Economic Offences Wing is conducting a detailed investigation into the financial transactions, agreements, and the alleged misappropriation of funds.

MENAFN14082025000049011007ID1109927490