Shilpa Shetty, Raj Kundra Cheating Case: Businessman's Audio Call With Deepak Kothari Goes Viral
Hours after Shilpa Shetty and her husband Raj Kundra were accused of cheating a Mumbai-based businessman of Rs 60 crore, an audio of the latter with the complainant, Deepak Kothari, has now surfaced on social media. In the viral audio, shared on social media by Filmygyan, a man, said to be Kothari, is heard saying that the funds given to Raj Kundra and Shilpa Shetty were an equity investment and not a loan, as alleged in his complaint.
Another voice, which is said to be that of Raj Kundra is also heard saying, 'Karza toh liya nahi tha maine aapne, yeh baat maan ni padegi aapko." However, News18 Showsha cannot verify the authenticity of the audio.
What Are The Allegations Against Shilpa Shetty, Raj Kundra?
On Thursday, Shilpa Shetty and her husband Raj Kundra were booked by the Economic Offences Wing (EOW) for allegedly cheating a Mumbai-based businessman of Rs 60.4 crore in connection with a loan-cum-investment deal. Another unknown person was also charged in connection with the incident.
The complainant, Deepak Kothari, has alleged that the couple defrauded him of over Rs 60 crore, which involved Shetty and Kundra's now-defunct company, Best Deal TV Pvt Ltd. According to Kothari, he invested the amount between 2015 and 2023 under the pretext of expanding a business, but the money was allegedly misused for personal expenses. EOW is now investigating the case.
Shilpa Shetty, Raj Kundra Call Allegations 'Baseless'
After the complaint, Shilpa Shetty and Raj Kundra's lawyer denied the allegations, saying they were purely civil in nature and had been adjudicated by the NCLT Mumbai on October 4, 2024. 'This is an old transaction, wherein the company went into financial distress and eventually got entangled in a long legal battle at the NCLT. There is no criminality involved, and our auditors have submitted all the necessary supporting documents from time to time, as requested by the EOW, including detailed cash flow statements," said advocate Prashant Patil.
'The investment agreement in question is purely in the nature of an equity investment. The company has already received a liquidation order, which has also been placed before the police department. The concerned Charter accounts have visited the police station for the last one year for more than 15 times with all the evidence supporting the claims of my clients," the lawyer added.
Patil called the case 'baseless and malicious", which was aimed at maligning Kundra and Shetty. He also said appropriate action is being initiated from their side against the perpetrators.
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First Published:
August 14, 2025, 19:00 IST
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