A bitter legal feud has erupted between Rajasthan Royals' majority owner and his former business partner over allegations of fraud and blackmail in London's High Court.

Venture capitalist Manoj Badale is suing businessman Raj Kundra, husband of Bollywood star Shilpa Shetty, for allegedly breaching a 2019 settlement agreement. Kundra previously forfeited his 11.7% stake in the IPL franchise after being found guilty of betting on cricket matches in 2015.

The drama escalated when Kundra recently emailed Badale "out of the blue," claiming he was "misled and defrauded" of his stake's true value in the $12 billion tournament. Badale's lawyers allege this constitutes blackmail, with Kundra threatening to report "serious allegations" to Indian authorities unless compensated.

The court has issued an interim injunction preventing Kundra from making disparaging statements while the case proceeds to full trial.