The Bombay High Court suggested that actor Shilpa Shetty could consider turning approver against her husband Raj Kundra in the ongoing Rs 60-crore fraud case while hearing her plea to lift a travel restriction for a Los Angeles event.
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MUMBAI: The Bombay High Court on Tuesday said that Bollywood actor Shilpa Shetty could consider turning into a prosecution witness against her husband, Raj Kundra, in the ongoing ₹60-crore cheating and fraud case.
The observation came from a bench comprising Chief Justice Shree Chandrashekhar and Justice Gautam A. Ankhad, during a hearing on Shetty’s plea to temporarily suspend a Look-Out Circular (LOC) issued against her. The LOC currently restricts her from traveling abroad.
Shetty’s lawyers, Advocates Niranjan Mundargi and Keral Mehta, informed the court that popular YouTuber MrBeast had invited the actor to participate in an event in Los Angeles.
They clarified that Shetty intended to travel only for a short duration—from October 22 to 27—and that her son would accompany her, while her mother and daughter would remain in Mumbai with Kundra.
“Only Applicant No. 2 (Shetty) wishes to travel for 5 days. She has no other case pending against her. She is in the entertainment business and has a professional commitment in Los Angeles,”
said Advocate Mundargi.
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However, Advocates Yusuf Iqbal and Zain Shroff, appearing for the complainant, opposed the plea. They pointed out that Shetty had previously sought permission to travel to Colombo for leisure during the same period and was now describing the trip as professional.
The bench also questioned the absence of a formal work agreement supporting Shetty’s claim. In response, her counsel explained that an agreement could not be signed until the court permitted her travel.
Court’s Question
In a lighter moment during the hearing, Chief Justice Chandrashekhar quipped,
“Why don’t you become an approver against Accused No. 1?”
—referring to her husband, Raj Kundra.
In legal terms, an approver is an accused person who agrees to testify against co-accused individuals in exchange for leniency or pardon.
Advocate Mundargi humorously responded,
“Tomorrow the newspapers will carry this conversation like last time.”
The Chief Justice replied,
“So be it.”
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The High Court has reserved its decision on Shetty’s travel plea and will hear the matter again on Thursday, October 16.
Mundargi reiterated that Shetty had fully cooperated with the investigation and that there were no direct allegations against her, other than her role as a director in one of Kundra’s firms and having received funds from him.
Background of the Case
The ₹60-crore fraud case involves allegations that Raj Kundra and his associates duped investors through fraudulent business dealings. The investigation remains ongoing.
