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Celebrity Big Brother winner Shilpa Shetty evicted from home in fraud case

Shilpa won the hearts of the nation in 2007 when she emerged victorious on Celebrity Big Brother, but now she is mounting a legal battle to stay in her Mumbai home with hubby Raj

Celebrity Big Brother winner Shilpa Shetty has been evicted from her own home by Indian authorities.

The Bollywood legend, 49, is reportedly locked in a legal battle with police in India after she was engulfed in a case regarding Bitcoin fraud claims. Together with businessman hubby Raj Kundra, the pair are launching a legal campaign to be able to stay in their homes.

Orders were given to the Life on a Metro actress to vacate two of their properties in the Indian metropolis of Mumbai in the space of ten days. However, it appears that the couple - who have residencies in Mumbai and Pune - are mounting a defence against the eviction notices served by the Bombay High Court.

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Shilpa and Raj have instructed a top lawyer in their defence, arguing that the evictions are not necessary. The orders relate to a 2017 scandal that rocked the country regarding Bitcoin with businessman Amir Bhardwaj at its centre.

[Shilpa Shetty and Raj Kundra]

Shilpa and Raj are being told to vacate their two properties after being engulfed in a fraud scandal(Image: The India Today Group via Getty Images)

In 2017, the Gain Bitcoin Ponzi scam proved to be huge in the country, with investors being falsely promised a 10% return in investments, but in the form of Bitcoin. As part of their investigations, it was revealed by police in India that Raj had landed some 285 Bitcoins from a mining farm in Ukraine back in April.

Because the deal did not go through, Raj is still believed to own the 285 Bitcoin, which is currently valued at around 13.5million. While the fraud charges are ongoing, both Shilpa and Raj had insisted that their homes were not relevant to the case and so did not need to be evicted.

Previous notices had also been served to the couple in April for their assets, including a residential flat in Mumbai and a bungalow in the nearby city of Pune.

[Shilpa Shetty]

The Bollywood star is claiming the eviction notices are unnecessary(Image: theshilpashetty/Instagram)

Despite being a legend in the Bollywood film scene in India in the 1990s, it was in 2007 when Shilpa Shetty became a household name. She appeared in the fifth series of Celebrity Big Brother, rubbing shoulders with the likes of Jermaine Jackson and Leo Sayer alike.

But the highs of her time in the House soon turned dark as she became the victim of racist bullying at the hands of former Big Brother star Jade Goody, as well as Danielle Lloyd and Jo O'Meara. The show's portrayal of the situation and lack of intervention triggered an international diplomatic incident, and resulted in then-Prime Minister Gordon Brown to downplay the issue.

[Shilpa Shetty]

Shilpa won the most controversial series of Big Brother to date in 2007(Image: PA Archive/PA Images)

Shilpa would go on to win the show with 63% of the vote, while Jade, Danielle and Jo would all be evicted from the House. Jade would publicly apologise to Shilpa after the show, going onto the Indian version of the show, Big Boss, one year later - but would be forced to withdraw after one day after being diagnosed with terminal cervical cancer.

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