In a significant development, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) has announced that it will refrain from enforcing eviction notices against actor Shilpa Shetty and her husband, businessman Raj Kundra, until their appeal regarding a property attachment is reviewed by the appellate tribunal. The Bombay High Court received this update from the ED during a hearing on Thursday.
On September 27, the ED had issued eviction notices to Shetty and Kundra, directing them to vacate their residence in Mumbai’s Juhu area and a farmhouse in Pune, both of which are linked to an ongoing money laundering investigation. The agency had previously attached these properties under a Provisional Attachment Order (PAO) issued in April.
According to provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), once a PAO is validated by an adjudicating authority, the affected parties have a 45-day window to challenge the decision at the PMLA Appellate Tribunal in Delhi. The adjudicating authority had confirmed the ED’s orders to provisionally attach the properties on September 18, prompting the eviction notices just nine days later.
During the court proceedings, Shetty and Kundra’s lawyer, advocate Prashant Patil, argued that the eviction notices were issued prematurely, prior to the expiration of the 45-day challenge period. He requested the court to stay the eviction as an interim measure until their appeal is resolved.
Responding to these claims, the court inquired whether a stay on eviction could be granted while the couple’s petition was pending. The ED’s special counsel, Satya Prakash, agreed to seek further instructions from the agency regarding the matter. During the subsequent hearing, Prakash informed the court that the ED would hold off on any action concerning the eviction notices until the couple had the opportunity to approach the PMLA Appellate Tribunal.
The court recorded the ED’s statement and disposed of the couple’s writ petition, indicating that the ED’s actions aligned with the provisions of the PMLA. Prakash argued that once a PAO is confirmed, the ED is mandated to take possession of the attached properties immediately. He emphasized that the couple could pursue their concerns through the Appellate Authority rather than seeking recourse through the High Court.
In April, the ED had provisionally attached assets worth ₹97.79 crore belonging to Kundra, including a flat in Juhu registered in Shetty’s name. This action was part of a broader investigation into a ₹6,600-crore bitcoin-based Ponzi scheme. Reports suggest that Kundra allegedly received 285 bitcoins, valued at approximately ₹150 crore, from the scheme’s deceased mastermind, Amit Bhardwaj, in connection with a failed Bitcoin mining venture in Ukraine.
As the case unfolds, Shetty and Kundra have temporarily avoided eviction from their properties, pending further legal proceedings. The couple’s legal team is now focused on addressing the issues raised in their appeal to the PMLA Appellate Tribunal.
Sources By Agencies
