Shilpa Shetty Clarifies Her Stand Amid Tax Probe: ‘Almost ₹20 Cr Loaned, Still Unpaid’

Shilpa Shetty called tax evasion allegations ‘baseless’ after IT searches at company premises linked to her, adding that a legal petition has already been filed in court.

Responding to the reports, Shetty said she has been unfairly dragged into the matter.

Source : PTI

Actor Shilpa Shetty has firmly refuted allegations of tax evasion following reports of Income Tax Department searches linked to certain food and beverage companies in Mumbai. Official sources confirmed on Thursday that the IT department conducted searches at multiple office premises in the city as part of an investigation into alleged tax irregularities, including one company associated with the actor.

Responding to the reports, Shetty said she has been unfairly dragged into the matter and clarified that her association with the company in question was limited and non-operational. Emphasising that she held no executive authority, the actor released a detailed statement addressing the claims.

Shilpa Shetty’s statement

“I am deeply saddened by the baseless attempt to link my name to this matter. My association with the company was strictly in a non-executive capacity, with no role in its operations, finances, decision making or any signing authority. In fact like several other public figures I had endorsed certain products for the home shopping channel, in a professional capacity, for which payments due to me remain outstanding.

I want to put it on record that almost 20 Cr rupees has been loaned to the company by us as a family and the said amount remains unpaid. The mischievous attempt to impute criminal liability on me, particularly after an unexplained delay of nearly nine years is legally unsustainable and contrary to settled principles of law.

Despite these facts, my name continues to be unnecessarily dragged into the proceedings, which is both distressing and unjustified. Such unwarranted allegations not only misrepresent facts but also result in a woman’s dignity, integrity, and reputation being unfairly trampled upon in the public domain.

As quoted in the Bhagavad Gita, “Failing to oppose injustice when it is your duty, is itself Adharma.” With a quashing petition already filed before the Honourable Bombay High Court, I have complete faith in the judicial process and will be seeking appropriate legal remedies to protect my rights and reputation.

I respectfully request the media to take note of these facts and report responsibly by verifying the truthfulness of facts."

Raj Kundra also dismisses the allegations

Meanwhile, Shetty’s husband, businessman Raj Kundra, also dismissed the allegations. In an earlier post on X, Kundra described the claims as “baseless and motivated,” asserting that the matter was being wrongly projected as a criminal issue without legal grounds.

"We categorically deny the baseless and motivated allegations being circulated. The issues sought to be raised are being given a criminal colour without any lawful basis."

"A Quashing Petition has already been filed before the Hon'ble High Court and is pending adjudication. Having fully cooperated with the investigation, we are sanguine that justice will prevail and have complete faith in the law enforcement authorities and the Indian judiciary. We respectfully urge the media to exercise restraint as the matter is sub judice," the tweet further read.

What is the tax evasion case about?

According to IT officials, searches were conducted at around 20–24 locations across Mumbai and nearby areas after the department received “actionable” intelligence regarding certain companies allegedly engaging in cash or “out-of-the-books” transactions. Sources clarified that the searches included office premises of a restaurant co-owned by Shetty and others, but denied reports claiming that her Mumbai residence was raided.

Officials also stated that the ongoing IT probe has no connection with a Maharashtra Police FIR filed earlier against Shetty and Kundra on fraud-related charges, nor with a separate case registered by Bengaluru Police against a local restaurant accused of operating beyond permitted hours. The Bengaluru establishment is reportedly co-owned by the actor.