(Image source from: Instagram.com/onlyrajkundra)

Bollywood actress Shilpa Shetty and her business partner husband Raj Kundra have challenged the Enforcement Directorate's (ED) order asking them to leave their Mumbai and Pune properties. They have filed a case in the Bombay High Court, seeking to overturn the eviction notices issued on September 27. Their lawyer argued that the notices were unjustified and the couple only received them on October 3, leaving them little time to respond. The couple's petitions claim there is no urgent need for them to vacate their homes, and that the eviction orders were unnecessary.

The petitions stated that the family of six members had been living at the residence for nearly two decades. The petitions also requested the High Court to halt the eviction notices. According to the petitions, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) had filed a complaint in 2018 against Amit Bhardwaj and others for alleged Bitcoin fraud and money laundering. Neither Shetty nor her husband were named as accused in the case. The ED had summoned Mr. Kundra for questioning on multiple occasions, and he had appeared after each summons. In April 2024, Ms. Shetty and Mr. Kundra received a notice regarding the ED's provisional attachment of their assets, including their Juhu residence purchased by Kundra's father in 2009. Both Ms. Shetty and Mr. Kundra submitted their responses to the notice. However, the adjudicating authority confirmed the provisional attachment order on September 18, 2024, stating that the attachment would remain in effect until the conclusion of the trial and was subject to its outcome.

The petitions stated that the residents were ordered to leave their homes and farmhouse on September 27, 2024. They argued that no eviction notice can be issued before a conviction. They also claimed that their residence was not connected to the alleged crime or any illegal profits. Additionally, the petitions asserted that Kundra had no involvement in the alleged fraud.