Overview
- Mumbai Police’s Economic Offences Wing has added IPC Section 420 (cheating) to the FIR after gathering fresh material, expanding charges first registered under Sections 403 and 406 in August.
- Complainant Deepak Kothari alleges he was induced to invest about Rs 60.48 crore in Best Deal TV between 2015 and 2023 and that funds were diverted, an accusation the couple disputes as a civil business loss.
- Shilpa Shetty and Raj Kundra have moved the Bombay High Court to quash the FIR, and the court has conditioned removal from the Lookout Circular on a Rs 60 crore deposit or bank guarantee.
- Bengaluru police have registered a case against the Bastian outlet on St. Marks Road for allegedly operating beyond permitted hours after a December 11 inspection.
- Reports of Income Tax searches at Bastian outlets and linked premises, including claims of a home search, were countered by the couple’s lawyer, who said there was no raid and described officials’ visit as routine verification.