Shilpa Shetty, Raj Kundra send Rs 50-cr defamation notice to Sherlyn Chopra

They are seeking an apology and Rs 50 crore in damages for ruining their reputation by making "false and baseless" allegations against them.

Bollywood star Shilpa Shetty and her businessman-husband Raj Kundra on Tuesday sent a legal notice to actor Sherlyn Chopra, seeking an apology and Rs 50 crore in damages for ruining their reputation by making "false and baseless" allegations against them.

The legal notice, sent through their advocate Prashant Patil, has sought an unconditional public apology from Chopra in leading newspapers and on digital media platforms within seven days, failing which it warned of civil and criminal proceedings against the 37-year-old actor. "Failing which my clients shall institute appropriate civil and criminal proceedings against you (Sherlyn Chopra) without further reference to you," the notice said.

"The entire allegations made by Sherlyn Chopra against Raj Kundra and Ms Shilpa Shetty Kundra, are concocted, false, fake, frivolous, baseless, without any evidence, even to Sherlyn Chopra's knowledge and have been made with an ulterior motive to defame and extort money," it said. Both Kundra and Chopra are accused in a pornographic content case.

Last month, Kundra was granted bail in the case by a Mumbai court after he spent two months in jail. Last week, Chopra had filed a complaint at the Juhu police station here against Shetty and Kundra, accusing the couple of committing fraud against her.

In the complaint, she has also levelled allegations of harassment, cheating and criminal intimidation. The notice said Chopra's allegations are nothing but an "afterthought" as she is also an accused in the pornographic case probed by the cyber cell of the Mumbai police.

Shetty is no way connected nor involved in looking after the day-to-day affairs of the JL Stream app (promoted by Kundra), it said. It (allegations) is nothing but an audacious attempt by Chopra to drag Shetty's name to create an unwanted controversy and gain media attention, the notice said.

In the notice, the couple has claimed Chopra has committed offences under sections 499 (makes or publishes any imputation concerning any person intending to harm) 550 (punishment for defamation), 389 (putting person in fear of accusation of offence, in order to commit extortion) and 195(A) (threatening any person to give false evidence) of the IPC.