EOW Summons Raj Kundra’s Staff in ₹60-Crore Fraud Case

• EOW summons four employees of Raj Kundra, Shilpa Shetty’s Best Deal TV in ₹60-crore fraud case.
• Probe follows complaint by businessman Deepak Kothari over investment misuse.
• Investigators examining ₹20 crore office furnishing claim and salary sources.
• Raj Kundra, Shilpa Shetty accused of diverting investor funds for personal use.

GG News Bureau
Mumbai, 6th Nov: The Mumbai Police’s Economic Offences Wing (EOW) has summoned four senior employees of Best Deal Private Limited — owned by actor Shilpa Shetty and businessman Raj Kundra — in connection with an alleged ₹60-crore fraud.

The case was registered after businessman Deepak Kothari accused the couple of cheating him in a loan-cum-investment deal between 2015 and 2023.

According to EOW officials, one employee has already recorded his statement, while three others will be questioned in the coming days. “They held senior positions in the company during the period under investigation,” an officer said.

Investigators are probing whether ₹20 crore, claimed to have been spent on office furnishings, was actually utilised for that purpose. The agency is also verifying the source of salary payments to employees and whether they came from company earnings or other funds.

Officials added that the EOW is tracing the money trail to determine if Best Deal TV had sufficient business activity to justify taking a ₹60-crore loan under the guise of investment. Product suppliers and advertising associates linked to the company will also be questioned soon.

Raj Kundra had earlier told investigators that the firm, which traded in electrical and household appliances, suffered huge losses after demonetisation in 2016, making it impossible to repay borrowed funds.

However, complainant Deepak Kothari alleged that the money was diverted for personal use and that part of it was paid as fees to actors Bipasha Basu and Neha Dhupia.

Best Deal TV, once promoted as a home-shopping and online retail venture, has since shut down operations amid ongoing financial troubles.