The Bombay High Court Wednesday asked actor Shilpa Shetty and her husband Raj Kundra to deposit Rs 60 crore before pursuing their plea to travel to the US and other countries. The bench of Chief Justice Shree Chandrashekhar and Justice Gautam A Ankhad was hearing the couple's interim application in a plea challenging the Look Out Circular (LOC) issued against them in connection with the probe by the Economic Offences Wing (EOW) of the Maharashtra Police in a Rs 60 crore cheating case. The LOC restricts their travels abroad. During the earlier hearing on October 1, the high court refused to grant interim relief to the couple who sought to travel to Phuket in Thailand on a family trip that week. The latest plea referred to their upcoming international travel plans, including a work trip to Los Angeles between October 21 and 24, and a trip to the Maldives and Colombo between October 26 and 26 for the expansion of Hotel Bastian, their hospitality venture. The application also seeks permission to visit London and Dubai between December 20, 2025, and January 6, 2026, to meet Kundra's parents. Advocate Keral Mehta, appearing for the couple, told the high court on Wednesday that while their “leisure family trip” to Thailand was not possible, Shetty has to travel to Los Angeles for an event organised by YouTube from October 21 to 24 followed by other foreign trips for the couple. The lawyer also said that the applicants were issued a summons by the investigating agency and had cooperated with the probe. “That’s the reason you are not arrested. That’s all. Person is under investigation. We can’t permit you for this purpose. We cannot permit anything for a leisure trip,” CJ Chandrashekhar responded orally. The couple's lawyer said that the US and Colombo trips were not meant to be for leisure and Shetty will give confirmation to the organisers, subject to the permission granted by the high court. When the court sought to know details of the communication by the organisers, the lawyer responded that a phone call took place between her client and the organisers. “Who will verify the phone calls? Give the numbers, then they (agency) will verify,” the high court responded. The counsel said the applicants will submit an affidavit with the concerned phone numbers and all other details related to the event and the travel. The court then asked the applicants about the allegation against them, and was informed that there was a cheating case to the tune of Rs 60 crore against the couple. “Deposit the entire money. Then we will consider it, subject to their (EOW and complainant) arguments,” the high court told the couple's lawyer. After the counsel sought to take instructions from her clients, the high court posted further hearing on the plea to October 14.
