Bollywood actress Shilpa Shetty and her spouse Raj Kundra are in trouble as a Mumbai court asked local police to investigate allegations of fraud against the celebrity couple. In response, the court directed that a complaint be filed alleging that the duo cheated an investor on golden investment scheme.
According to a report by Press Trust of India (PTI), additional session judge NP Mehta has concluded that there is “prima facie cognizable offence” committed by Raj Kundra, his wife Shilpa Shetty and their company Satyug Gold Private Limited. The case also names two directors and one employee of the company. Prithviraj Kothari who is MD at Riddhi Siddhi Bullions brought up these claims before the Bandra Kurla Complex Police Station.
The court’s order includes registration of First Information Report (FIR) against offenders under relevant sections of Indian Penal Code (IPC) for cheating and criminal breach of trust.
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Allegations of Fraud
A 2014 suit alleges that a scheme of gold investment was introduced by Shilpa Shetty and Raj Kundra which would promise significant returns. Subscribers were expected to pay for gold in advance at reduced prices with a guarantee that the agreed quantity of gold would be delivered as soon as the project expired.
Kothari, on his part claims that he invested ₹90,38,600 under a five-year package hoping to get 5,000 grams of 24-carat gold by April 2nd, 2019. However, no such gold was delivered on the promised date or even long after it.
The scheme was described by Kothari as “totally fake” who claimed there was a conspiracy between the two to deceive investors. He maintains that the scheme amounted to intentional fraud carried out jointly by both Shetty and Kundra.