Hours after a First Information Report (FIR) was lodged against Bollywood actress Shilpa Shetty Kundra and her husband Raj Kundra for allegedly duping a Mumbai-based businessman on November 14, the actress has issued a clarification denying any wrong doing.
On November 14, the couple along with Kaashif Khan, the director of a fitness company, was accused of cheating a businessman to the tune of Rs10.5 million. Shetty, in her clarification, has stated that the deals were not struck by her or her husband, but Khan.
“Woke up to an FIR registered in Raj and my name! Shocked!! To set the record straight, SFL Fitness, a venture run by Kashiff Khan. He had taken naming rights of brand SFL to open SFL Fitness Gyms around the country. All deals were struck by him and he was a signatory in banking and day-to-day affairs. We are not aware of any of his transactions not have we received a single rupee from him for the same. All franchisees' were dealt directly with Kashiff. The company closed in 2014 and was entirely handled by Kashiff Khan,” wrote Shetty Kundra on her Instagram story.
She also urged her fans not to believe such stories that are directed at tainting her reputation and eroding her hard work.
“I have worked very hard over the last 28 years and it pains me to see that my name and reputation is getting damaged and dragged so loosely to get eyeballs. My rights as a law-abiding proud citizen in India should be protected,” she wrote before signing off.
According to a report in PTI, an FIR was registered based on a complaint by businessman Nitin Barai who claimed that the celebrity couple and Khan had pushed him to invest in this company.
Earlier this year, Kundra was arrested for creation and distribution of adult content. He was released on bail last in September.
During that time, Shetty Kundra had implored her fans not to jump to any conclusions about her involvement in the pornography case and claimed she did not have any idea about her husband’s various business ventures.
Her life has been upended since the arrest of her entrepreneur husband Kundra.
The 45-year-old industrialist was charged with being a ‘key conspirator’ in adult films production racket which reportedly forced many women to engage in sexually explicit videos. Kundra has denied any wrong doing. His lawyer claims his arrest on July 20 is illegal.
Shetty Kundra, who has lost several endorsements following this scandal, has urged the media and fans not to speculate about her involvement in the racket. She also claimed that the past few weeks have been very challenging for her family.
“A lot of unwarranted aspersions on me cast by the media and (not so) well-wishers as well. A lot of trolling/questions posed ... not only to me but also to my family ... As a family we are taking recourse to all our available regal remedies,” said Shetty Kundra. She also urged everyone to respect her privacy and not engage in a media witch hunt trial.
