Bombay High Court pauses ED’s eviction notice to Shilpa Shetty, Raj Kundra

The Bombay High Court on Thursday paused an eviction notice issued by the Enforcement Directorate to actor Shilpa Shetty and her husband, businessman Raj Kundra. The eviction notice was sent to the couple under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), in connection with an alleged Ponzi cryptocurrency scam worth Rs 6,600 crore.
The couple’s lawyer, Prashant Patil, stated that the court’s move offers them a chance to challenge the ED’s action. “There was an eviction notice issued by the ED against the residential properties of Raj Kundra and Shilpa Shetty, which has been paused by the high court.”
The ED had attached properties worth Rs 97.79 crore under the PMLA in connection with alleged Bitcoin farming. The ED claimed that the accused collected Rs 6,600 crore worth of bitcoins in 2017, falsely promising a 10 per cent monthly return.
However, Patil clarified that Shetty and Kundra have no involvement in the alleged Ponzi cryptocurrency scam, saying, “The couple has nothing to do with the alleged Ponzi scam, and they will continue to cooperate with the ED investigation.”
The ED’s notice sought to take possession of the couple’s residential properties, including their residence and farm house, by October 13.
The properties attached by the ED include a flat in Juhu, a bungalow in Pune, and equity shares in Kundra’s name. The court, comprising Justices Revati Mohite-Dere and Prithviraj Chavan, granted the couple time to file an appeal before the Appellate Tribunal in Delhi for further relief.