Mumbai Police’s Economic Offences Wing (EOW) has tightened the noose around actress Shilpa Shetty Kundra and her husband, businessman Raj Kundra, by invoking a serious charge of cheating under Section 420 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) in an FIR registered against them.
The FIR was filed on the complaint of Deepak Kothari. In a statement issued by the complainant’s legal representatives, it was stated that based on facts that emerged during the investigation, the EOW has added the stringent IPC provision and has duly informed the jurisdictional magistrate about the development.
The EOW informed the court that during the course of investigation, statements of credible witnesses and electronic evidence have been collected. According to the investigating agency, the material on record indicates that the complainant was allegedly cheated of more than ₹60 crore in the case. On the basis of the evidence gathered, the offence of cheating has been formally incorporated as per law.
Section 420 of the IPC is treated as a scheduled offence under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002. With the addition of this charge, the likelihood of action by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) has increased. The complainant’s legal team has also begun preparations to approach the ED in this regard.
The investigation in the case is ongoing, and more significant revelations are expected in the coming days.