A First Information Report (FIR) has been ordered against Russian tennis star Maria Sharapova...by a court in Delhi. Yes, you read that right!
The chief metropolitan magistrate in North West Delhi just acted upon the complaint over a certain home buyer, Bhawana Agarwal, who invested Rs 53 lakh (approx 4,766,157 Russian Ruble) in a housing project known as 'Ballet by Sharapova', endorsed by the tennis glam girl.
The luxury housing project in Gurgaon was slated to be completed in 2016 but it never really took off. The Indian court, as a result, ordered the FIR against Sharapova as well as the companies Homestead Infrastructure Development Private Limited, Homestead Infrastructure Maintenance Private Limited and Homestead Arabic Homes Private and its directors.
"Sharapova not only aggressively promoted the fraudulent activities of the accused, but also supported the project in the eyes of the general public and is, therefore, a part of this criminal conspiracy," said Bhawana, 44, in her complaint.
The Indian woman's advocate also revealed that Sharapova had come over in India during 2013 to meet the interested buyers for 'Ballet by Sharapova'.
"It seems that the tennis star had lent her name to the project and even agreed to start a tennis academy in her name," mentioned a Supreme Court of India lawyer, to Money Control.
"That could not be done without her written consent as she has agreed to lend her name which is an expensive proposition, but how far was she involved is a matter of investigation."
We now await that much-anticipated comment from Sharapova, 30, over the entire incident.
