Mumbai: Actor Shilpa Shetty and her businessman husband, Raj Kundra, have approached the Bombay High Court challenging eviction notices issued to them by the Directorate of Enforcement (ED). The notices direct them to vacate their residential premises in Juhu and a farmhouse in Pune, in connection with a bitcoin fraud and money laundering case.
A division bench of Justices Revati Mohite Dere and Prithviraj Chavan on Wednesday issued a notice to the ED and kept the matter for a hearing on Thursday.
The petitions challenged the eviction orders dated September 27, 2024, which directed Shetty and Kundra to vacate their properties within ten days. Their advocate, Prashant Patil, argued that they received the notices only on October 3. He sought quashing of the notices terming them arbitrary and illegal.
The pleas argue that there is no urgent need for the petitioners to vacate their premises and that the eviction notices were unnecessary. They also seek relief on humanitarian grounds, stating, “The petitioners are also seeking relief on humanitarian grounds as the premise in question is their residential premise in which they have been staying with their family of six members for almost two decades.” The couple has urged the HC to stay the effect of the eviction notices.
The ED, in 2018, filed a complaint against Amit Bhardwaj and others for alleged bitcoin fraud and money laundering. Neither Shetty nor Kundra has been named as accused in the case. The ED had summoned Kundra multiple times during its investigation, and he appeared as required, the plea states.
They received a notice of an order in April 2024 from the ED provisionally attaching their assets, including the Juhu residence purchased by Kundra’s father in 2009. They responded to the notice.
The plea claims that, despite their response, the adjudicating authority confirmed the provisional attachment order on September 18, 2024, in violation of the law. “This order clearly states that the attachment is confirmed only till the conclusion of trial and is subject to its outcome,” the pleas said.
The couple received the eviction notice dated September 27, 2024, on October 3, directing them to vacate their residential premises and farmhouse. The petitions argue that no eviction order or notice can be issued before a conviction.
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They further contend that their residential property is not connected to the alleged crime or any proceeds from it, and claim that Kundra has no involvement in the fraud.
