Cheating case: Interim relief to actor, husband

Mumbai: A Thane Sessions court on Tuesday granted interim anticipatory bail of Rs 50,000 each to actress Shilpa Shetty, her husband Raj Kundra and three others in a case of alleged

cheating

and breach of trust.

Ravi Bhalotia, who is a vendor with Best Deal TV (BDTV), an online shopping platform, had alleged in an FIR (filed on April 26) before Kongaon police station in

Bhiwandi

that BDTV, has duped him of Rs 24 lakh. He alleged that though he had delivered products (bedsheets) but he was yet to receive payment.

Apart from Shetty and Kundra, other former directorsDarshit Shah, Vedant Bali and

Uday Kothari

were also granted interim protection against arrest. Advocates, Aniket Nikam and Hiren Kamod appearing for Shetty, argued, “BDTV has made payment of more than Rs 1 crore to the complainant and it could not be said that the accused had intention to cheat from the inception, which is the requirement of section 420 of Indian Penal Code (IPC).”

Public prosecutor

Varsha Chandane

opposed relief saying it was a “clear case of cheating”. She added the accused “are influential people” and ought not to be given any pre-arrest bail.