Mumbai: The Mumbai Sessions Court has ordered police to investigate Shilpa Shetty and her husband Raj Kundra about allegations of cheating filed by a bullion trader before the court.
Ruling that a ‘prima facie cognisable offence’ is made out against the Bollywood actress and her businessman husband Raj Kundra, judge NP Mehta directed Bandra Kurla Complex (BKC) police to investigate Prithviraj Saremal Kothari’s complaint made in 2022.
The court said if any cognisable offence is found to have been committed by the accused persons, police can register an FIR against them under the relevant section of Indian Penal Code (IPC) and Maharashtra Protection of Interest of Depositors Act (MPID Act).
Advocates Harikrishna Mishra and Vishal Acharya, appearing for Kothari, submitted that Shilpa and Raj – who founded a company called Satyug Gold Private Limited — had launched a scheme in 2014 under which investors would be required to make full payment of gold at a discounted rate upfront at the time of applying, and they would receive the agreed quantity of gold on the maturity date.
Kothari had invested Rs 90 lakh, against which he was promised 5,000 grams of 24-carat gold to be delivered to him on April 2, 2019, on completion of five years at all costs, irrespective of whatever happens in the market in respect of gold prices.
However, Kothari claimed he didn’t receive any gold from Shilpa and Raj’s company after completion of five years.
Also Read: Cheating Complaint Against Shilpa Shetty, Raj Kundra; Actress Is ‘Pained’
Kothari alleged that the couple forwarded a post-dated cheque dated January 21, 2020 for Rs 90 lakh, which was just the principal amount, whereas the value of 24-carat gold of 5,000 grams on that date would have been Rs 2.75 crore, at the rate of Rs 4,500 per gram.
Kothari’s lawyers argued that Shilpa, Raj and inherent directors of the company “fraudulently, deceitfully and with an absolute nefarious intention of cheating have chosen to refund only the principal amount invested by Kothari.”
They submitted to the court that Kothari had filed a complaint, but BKC police didn’t register an FIR. Hence, they were seeking that the court direct the police to do so.
Raj, Shilpa and other directors of the company were not represented in court.
