A popular restaurant in the heart of Bengaluru has landed in legal trouble after allegedly staying open well past permitted hours. Bastian, a restaurant owned by actress Shilpa Shetty, is now facing police action for violating city rules related to operating hours and late-night gatherings.
The Bengaluru police have registered a First Information Report against the establishment for allegedly running beyond its allowed closing time and hosting late-night parties. The case was taken up by the police on their own initiative under provisions of the Karnataka Police Act. Since the restaurant is located on St. Mark’s Road, the FIR has been filed at the Cubbon Park Police Station.
According to police records, Bastian was found operating until around 1.30 am on December 11, which is beyond the time permitted under local regulations. Following this, cases were booked against the managers and staff members of the restaurant for violating the rules. As part of the same enforcement drive, another pub, Sour Berry on Residency Road, was also booked for similar violations. During the investigation, statements were recorded from eight individuals, including members of the pub’s staff.
This development comes at a time when Shilpa Shetty and her husband Raj Kundra are already under scrutiny in a separate financial matter. Just weeks earlier, the Economic Offences Wing in Mumbai had booked the couple for allegedly cheating a businessman of Rs 60.4 crore in connection with a loan-cum-investment deal. The case also names another unidentified person.
The complainant, Mumbai-based businessman Deepak Kothari, has claimed that he invested the money over several years with the understanding that it would be used to expand a business linked to Best Deal TV Pvt Ltd, a company formerly associated with Shilpa Shetty and Raj Kundra. He has alleged that the funds were instead used for personal expenses. The Economic Offences Wing is currently investigating these claims.
However, the couple has strongly denied any wrongdoing. Their lawyer has stated that the matter is purely civil in nature and has already been addressed by the National Company Law Tribunal in Mumbai in October 2024. According to the defence, the transaction is old, the company faced financial difficulties and there was no criminal intent involved. The lawyer also said that all financial records and documents requested by investigators have been submitted.
As investigations continue on both fronts, the latest police action has once again brought public attention to the business interests linked to the celebrity couple.
