Gunjan Chaudhary
Bollywood actress Shilpa Shetty’s troubles seem far from over. Amid the ongoing ₹60 crore fraud case, the actress has now landed in fresh controversy after the Income Tax Department conducted a raid at her popular restaurant Bastian in Mumbai’s Dadar area on December 17. According to a one of the media houses several Income Tax officers arrived at the Bastian restaurant in Dadar and carried out a search operation that lasted for several hours.
Shilpa Shetty
Shilpa Shetty’s Restaurant Raided
However, no official statement has been released by the Income Tax Department regarding the outcome of the raid so far. Let us tell you that Shilpa Shetty is a co-owner of Bastian, along with businessman Ranjit Bindra. The upscale restaurant, which opened in 2016, is especially popular for its seafood cuisine and celebrity crowd. The Income Tax raid in Mumbai comes shortly after another case was registered against Bastian in Bengaluru.
Shilpa Shetty
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On Tuesday, the Bengaluru Police filed an FIR against the restaurant for allegedly operating beyond permitted hours and allowing late-night parties in violation of rules. The FIR was registered under Section 103 of the Karnataka Police Act at the Cubbon Park police station. The Bengaluru Bastian outlet is located on St. Mark’s Road, a prime area in the city. As per reports, the restaurant allegedly remained open until 1:30 AM on December 11, despite rules requiring it to shut earlier.
Shilpa Shetty
The police have reportedly booked the restaurant manager and staff for violating the stipulated norms. Following the Bengaluru FIR, Shilpa Shetty strongly denied all allegations in an Instagram post. She wrote, “We categorically deny the baseless and fabricated allegations being spread. The issues being raised are being given a criminal color without any legal basis.” She further stated, “A petition has already been filed in the Honorable High Court and is awaiting hearing. After fully cooperating with the investigation, we are confident that justice will prevail and we have complete faith in our country’s law enforcement agencies and judicial system. We respectfully urge the media to exercise restraint as the matter is sub judice.”*
Shilpa Shetty
Apart from the restaurant-related issues, Shilpa Shetty and her husband Raj Kundra are also under investigation by the Economic Offences Wing (EOW) in a ₹60.40 crore fraud case. A Mumbai-based businessman has accused the couple in connection with a loan-cum-investment deal. Recently, the EOW added Section 420 (cheating) to the case and has reportedly collected multiple pieces of evidence, including electronic records. With this development, the case now also falls under the purview of the Enforcement Directorate (ED).