Shilpa Shetty is moving ahead with the expansion of her restaurant business even as she and her husband, Raj Kundra, face allegations in a Rs 60 crore fraud case. Meanwhile, her restaurant Bastian in Bengaluru has also been in the news as reports suggested that a complaint was filed for allegedly operating past the legal closing time. Amidst all this, on Thursday, the actor announced the launch date of her new South Indian restaurant, Ammakai, which will open at the same Bandra address where her well-known eatery Bastian first began operations.While this new restaurant as taken over the space, the original Bastian has shifted to Juhu and has been relaunched as Bastian Beach Club. Sharing a video on Thursday, Shilpa revealed that this new place will officially open on December 19 (Friday) and mentioned that nearly a year of planning went into bringing the restaurant to life.In the video, she said, “This is going to be worth the wait. It’s an ode to my roots and comfort food that reminds me of home.” Meanwhile, Shilpa Shetty and Raj Kundra are currently facing legal trouble in connection with a Rs 60 crore fraud case. Businessman Deepak Kothari, director of Lotus Capital Financial Services Ltd, had earlier filed a complaint accusing the couple of cheating him in a loan-cum-investment transaction worth the same amount. Acting on his complaint, Mumbai Police’s Economic Offences Wing (EOW) registered an FIR against them on Wednesday.As per a statement released by Deepak’s lawyer, the EOW found material evidence against Shilpa Shetty and Raj Kundra that justified the allegations made in the case.Raj Kundra, however, has firmly rejected the claims. Issuing a statement on X, he said, “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.”
