Jubilant FoodWorks Limited has issued an official clarification regarding recent media reports about an FIR registered by the police against its Chairman, Shyam S. Bhartia. The company, in a regulatory filing on February 25, 2025, stated that the Chairman has personally denied all allegations, terming them “baseless, false, and disparaging,” and has attributed them to malafide intent.
According to the company, the Bombay High Court has directed the police to conduct an independent investigation, stating that the court has not examined the merits of the complaint. Bhartia has assured full cooperation with the investigating authorities.
Earlier, Thane police have registered an FIR against businessman Shyam Sundar Bhartia and his associate Pooja Singh following allegations of rape and fraud made by a Bollywood actor. The action was taken after the Bombay High Court questioned the police over their inaction on the complaint for three months.
The actor, through her lawyers Mohammed Ahmed and Sofiya Shaikh, had petitioned the court, urging authorities to take action.
According to the complaint, the actor first met Jubilant FoodWorks Chairman Shyam Sundar Bhartia at a Mumbai hotel through Pooja Singh, where Bhartia expressed interest in investing in her project. Later, she was invited to Singapore for further discussions.
The actor alleges that after she and Singh arrived in Singapore on May 18, 2023, she was drugged without her consent. She claims Bhartia then sexually assaulted her while Singh recorded the incident. The alleged abuse continued for three days, according to her complaint.
