Shilpa Shetty withdraws plea to travel to US in Rs600 million fraud case

Dubai: Bollywood actress Shilpa Shetty, who is facing allegations in a Rs600 million cheating case alongside her husband Raj Kundra, informed the Bombay High Court on Thursday that she is withdrawing her application seeking permission to travel abroad as her plans had fallen through.

Her counsel, Niranjan Mundargi, told a bench comprising Chief Justice Shree Chandrashekhar and Justice Gautam Ankhad that Shetty was no longer pursuing the plea.

“As and when she and her husband wish to travel in the future, they will file a fresh application for permission. She (Shetty) is not pressing the present plea,” Mundargi said.

The complaint, filed by businessman Deepak Kothari, alleges that between 2015 and 2023, the couple persuaded him to invest Rs600 million in their company, Best Deal TV Pvt Ltd, but diverted the funds for personal use.

Last month, Shetty and Kundra had petitioned the court seeking the suspension of a Look Out Circular (LOC) issued by the Economic Offences Wing (EOW), which is investigating the matter.

They had also sought permission to travel abroad between October 2025 and January 2026 for professional and leisure purposes.

On Thursday, the court accepted Shetty’s withdrawal and scheduled the hearing on the couple’s plea to suspend the LOC for November 17.

During earlier proceedings, the bench had observed that it could not permit leisure travel while the accused were facing fraud charges, suggesting that their plea would only be considered if they agreed to deposit the Rs600 millon in question.

Shetty had reportedly planned to visit the United States for an event in late October, but the court had asked her to produce a formal agreement or invitation. Mundargi had clarified that such an agreement could not be finalized until travel approval was granted.

The advocate further stated that both Shetty and Kundra have been fully cooperative with investigators and have appeared for questioning as required.