Shilpa Shetty, Raj Kundra’s Foreign Travel Plea Faces ₹60 Crore Deposit Condition From Bombay HC

Bombay High Court Puts ₹60 Crore Condition on Foreign Travel

Bollywood actor Shilpa Shetty and businessman Raj Kundra faced a major hurdle in their request to travel abroad when the Bombay High Court said it would consider their plea only after the couple deposits ₹60 crore, the amount at the centre of an ongoing cheating investigation.

The development took place during a hearing on October 8, 2025, concerning a Look Out Circular (LOC) issued against the couple by the Mumbai Police’s Economic Offences Wing (EOW). The matter relates to a complaint filed by businessman Deepak Kothari, who has alleged that nearly ₹60 crore connected with his investment in Best Deal TV Pvt Ltd was misused.

The court did not make a finding that Shetty or Kundra were guilty of fraud. The allegations remain part of an ongoing investigation.

Why Were Shilpa Shetty and Raj Kundra Seeking Permission to Travel?

The couple had approached the Bombay High Court seeking suspension of the LOC so they could undertake a number of international trips for professional and personal commitments.

During the October 8 hearing, their lawyer clarified that while one proposed trip to Phuket was for leisure, the other travel plans were connected to professional engagements. The court sought documentary evidence, including invitations or formal communications relating to those professional commitments.

The court subsequently said it would consider the travel plea only after the entire ₹60 crore amount was deposited. The matter was posted for further hearing on October 14, 2025.

What Is the ₹60 Crore Case Against the Couple?

The case originated from a complaint by businessman Deepak Kothari concerning Best Deal TV Pvt Ltd, a home-shopping and online retail venture associated with Shetty and Kundra.

According to Kothari's allegations, money provided for the expansion of the business was subsequently not repaid as expected and was allegedly diverted for personal purposes. The disputed amount is reported at approximately ₹60.48 crore.

The EOW registered a case following the complaint, and both Shetty and Kundra have been questioned during the investigation. The couple has maintained that they have cooperated with the authorities.

The allegations should not be confused with a conviction: the investigation and related court proceedings concern claims made against the couple, and the court's travel-related directions were issued in the context of the LOC and the pending investigation.

The Look Out Circular and the Travel Dispute

The LOC became central to the dispute because it restricted the couple's ability to leave India without appropriate permission.

The Bombay High Court had already declined to grant interim relief for a proposed Phuket trip on October 1, 2025.

On October 8, the court again scrutinised the proposed foreign travel and sought evidence supporting the professional nature of the engagements. The court's ₹60 crore condition therefore became a significant part of the couple's request to temporarily suspend the LOC.

What Happened After the October 8 Hearing?

The October 8 development was not the end of the legal proceedings.

On October 16, 2025, Shilpa Shetty withdrew her then-pending application seeking permission to travel abroad, after her lawyer told the court that the proposed travel plans were no longer going ahead. The court permitted the applicants to approach it again with a fresh application if they wished to travel in the future.

A later development came in December 2025, when the Bombay High Court considered the couple's request to travel to London in connection with Raj Kundra's father's medical treatment. The court indicated that the couple would need to deposit ₹60 crore or provide a continuous bank guarantee of the same amount before travel permission could be considered.

The Celebrity Hour Take

The key point in this case is that the travel restrictions and the ₹60 crore condition are part of ongoing legal proceedings, not a judicial finding that the couple committed the alleged fraud.

For readers following the case, the more important developments are therefore the status of the EOW investigation, the LOC proceedings and any subsequent court orders concerning international travel. The October 2025 hearing established a significant financial condition for considering travel relief, while subsequent hearings showed that the issue remained active rather than being resolved at that stage.

Sources & Verification

This report was prepared by cross-checking the supplied Bollywood Hungama report against coverage from The Indian Express, India Today, Financial Express and other legal/news reports, along with publicly available Bombay High Court-related material. The central allegation has been described as an allegation rather than an established finding of guilt.