Raj Kundra offers kidney to Premanand Maharaj amid ₹60 crore fraud allegations

Shilpa Shetty and her husband, businessman Raj Kundra, were in Vrindavan recently, where they paid a visit to spiritual leader Premanand Maharaj. In a video that has now surfaced online, Raj Kundra offers his kidney to the guru as the latter thanks him for his kindness.

In a video that went viral online, businessman Raj Kundra reportedly offered a kidney to Shri Hit Premanand Govind Sharan Ji Maharaj in Vrindavan amid allegations against him and wife Shilpa Shetty of fraud worth ₹60 crore, according to reports.

Kundra was showing gratitude towards the spiritual guru, reportedly thanking him for his kindness.

Shetty, Kundra, and an unidentified individual have been booked by the Economic Offences Wing (EOW) for allegedly defrauding a Mumbai-based businessman of ₹60.4 crore in a loan-cum-investment deal linked to their now-defunct company, Best Deal TV Pvt Ltd, police said on Thursday. 

According to Mumbai Police, businessman Deepak Kothari has accused the couple of jointly cheating him of more than ₹60 crore.

He alleged that the money, given between 2015 and 2023 in the name of business expansion, was instead used for personal expenses. The investigation has now been handed over to the EOW.

Kothari, a Juhu resident and director of Lotus Capital Financial Services, stated that one Rajesh Arya had introduced him to Shilpa Shetty and Raj Kundra, who at the time were directors of Best Deal TV Pvt Ltd, a home shopping and online retail platform. The couple reportedly held 87.6% of the company's shares.

The accused allegedly sought a loan of ₹75 crore at an interest rate of 12% but later convinced him to channel the money as an "investment" to avoid higher taxation, while promising monthly returns along with repayment of the principal.

Kothari claims he transferred ₹31.9 crore in April 2015 under a share subscription agreement, followed by another ₹28.53 crore in September 2015 under a supplementary agreement.

The FIR states that despite offering a personal guarantee in April 2016, Shilpa Shetty resigned as director in September 2016.

Kothari later learned that the company had entered bankruptcy proceedings in 2017 after defaulting on another agreement.

Investigations into the matter are currently underway, and further details are awaited.

(with inputs from syndicated feed)