Shilpa Shetty denied travel — must pay Rs600 million first, rules Bombay High Court

Dubai: In a dramatic turn in the ongoing Rs600 million fraud case, the Bombay High Court on Wednesday rejected Bollywood actor Shilpa Shetty’s plea to travel to Colombo for a YouTube event, ordering her to first deposit Rs600 million before her request can be considered.

The bench held that the court would only entertain her travel application once the full amount was secured, citing the seriousness of the financial allegations and the risk of flight. The decision came as Shetty and her husband, Raj Kundra, are facing a legal battle over accusations of defrauding a Mumbai-based businessperson via their company, Best Deal TV Pvt Ltd. Earlier investigations shed light on complex financial transactions dating back to 2015 and 2023.

The complainant claims the funds earmarked for business expansion were instead diverted for personal use. The Economic Offences Wing (EOW) recently quizzed Shetty for over four hours, as multiple statements—including from Kundra—are now on record.

Shetty’s counsel had argued she needed to travel for professional obligations, but the court remained unmoved, emphasising that legal accountability must precede any outbound movement. The matter has been adjourned until October 14 for further hearing.

In recent weeks, the couple’s overseas travel plans — including a proposed trip to Los Angeles — came under legal scrutiny, and a Look Out Circular (LOC) had already been issued to prevent them from leaving the country.

This development escalates the stakes in one of Bollywood’s most high-profile fraud cases, casting fresh uncertainties over Shetty’s international engagements and her legal strategy moving forward.

With inputs from ANI