Income Tax Department searches are underway at Bollywood actor Shilpa Shetty’s Mumbai residence and at entities owned and operated by Shetty and businessman Raj Kundra across Mumbai, Bengaluru, Pune. The action is focused on Bastian Hospitality, which runs Bastian-branded clubs in several cities, including Mumbai, Pune, Bengaluru and Goa. Search operations began on Wednesday and cover company outlets as well as the residences of promoters, as authorities examine financial and operational aspects linked to the hospitality business.
Focus On Bastian Hospitality Operations
Officials are scrutinising the functioning and management of high-profile Bastian venues, with particular attention to Bastian Garden City, a hotel-linked property under investigation. Searches were also conducted earlier in Bengaluru as part of the same probe into the actress’s hospitality interests.
Shetty Denies Allegations
The latest Income Tax action comes a day after Bengaluru police registered cases against two pubs, including Bastian Garden City, for allegedly operating beyond permitted hours. Bastian Hospitality was founded by businessman Ranjit Bindra, with Shilpa Shetty acquiring a 50 percent stake in 2019. Shetty has denied all allegations, calling them baseless, and stated that a petition challenging the case is pending before the High Court. She said she has cooperated fully with the investigation and urged media restraint, citing that the matter is sub judice.
Advocate Prashant Patil, speaking on behalf of his client Shilpa Shetty, clarified that no Income Tax raid of any kind has been conducted at her premises. He stated that the interaction with Income Tax officials was part of a routine verification and follow-up process, and not a search or raid.
The advocate further warned that any claims circulating in the public domain linking these developments to an alleged Economic Offences Wing (EOW) case are false and misleading. He said that individuals or organisations making such assertions would face legal action before the appropriate court of law.
Reiterating his client’s position, Patil emphasised that there has been no Income Tax raid at Mrs Shilpa Shetty Kundra’s residence, urging restraint and accuracy in reporting the matter.