The legal battle between Rajasthan Royals‘ majority owner Manoj Badale and former co-owner Raj Kundra has intensified, with serious allegations of blackmail emerging in a London court.
Badale has accused Kundra, the husband of Bollywood Star Shilpa Shetty, of attempting to blackmail him by alleging that he had been defrauded out of his 11.7% minority stake in the IPL franchise.
According to reports, Badale and his company, Emerging Media Ventures (EMV), which owns 65% of Rajasthan Royals, have filed a lawsuit against Kundra, alleging he breached a 2019 confidential settlement agreement.
Blackmail claims and email exchange
In court proceedings, Badale’s lawyer, Adam Speker, accused Kundra of attempting to blackmail his client, claiming that Kundra threatened to report serious allegations to Indian authorities, namely that he was defrauded out of the true value of his 11.7% stake in Rajasthan Royals.
Kundra’s lawyer, William McCormick, responded by saying that if these claims were untrue, ‘in due course it will be exposed.’
Kundra, who was found guilty of betting on IPL games in 2015, forfeited his stake after the scandal that led to the franchise’s two-year suspension.
Badale’s lawyer, Speker, presented evidence in court that Kundra had emailed Badale last month, alleging that he had been ‘misled and defrauded of the rightful value of my 11.7 percent stake.’
Speaker also presented evidence that Kundra’s email included threats to escalate the matter to Indian authorities and the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI).
The former co-owner demanded the ‘restoration of my original equity or compensation reflecting the true and current valuation of the Rajasthan Royals franchise.’
Lalit Modi’s involvement and further threats
Adding further complexity to the case, Speker also asserted that Kundra had also reached out to London-based IPL founder Lalit Modi.
In a message to Modi, Kundra allegedly stated that Badale “did not realise cheating me of the true value would cost him dearly,” Speker reported, as per the latest court filings.
Court orders and legal responses
In response to Kundra’s actions, Badale and Emerging Media Ventures obtained an interim injunction on May 30, 2025, preventing Kundra from making any disparaging statements that would breach their settlement agreement.
Kundra’s lawyer, William McCormick, confirmed that Kundra had accepted the injunction but stressed that it was “not an admission that anything improper has been done or is being threatened.”
The legal proceedings are ongoing, and it remains to be seen how the court will rule in this high-profile case involving one of cricket’s most valuable franchises.
