Maria Sharapova Could Be Facing Up To Seven Years In Prison

Maria Sharapova is a former world number one tennis player and also a top-level model. She is most known for her domination on the tennis court as well as her grace on the catwalk. She was recently banned from professional tennis for drugs consumption but after an appeal, the ban was reduced from 2 years to 15 months.

The five-time Grand Slam winner made a successful comeback by winning the Tianjin Open as a wild card.

Her successful appeal led to a reduction in the two-year ban since it came out that her doctor had advised her to take the banned substance known as meldonium.

However, the tennis star recently came under fire after Indian officials said she was part of a home-buying scheme that was both ‘cheating and criminal.’

Instagram

According to the Times of India, Maria Sharapova put her name on a luxury housing project which was set to be completed in 2016 but the project never took off.

Instagram

If these charges were to be laid successfully then Maria could be facing up to seven years in prison as well as a fine under Section 420 of the Indian Penal Code.

Instagram

It was in 2013 when Maria went to India to promote the project along with the developers who were based in Gurgaon.

Instagram

The Indian Times reported: ‘the tennis star has now been booked for cheating and criminal conspiracy by Delhi Police, following a local court’s order.’

Instagram

‘An aggrieved home buyer had approached the court. The developers of the project have also been booked on similar charges. However, no one has been arrested in the case yet.’

Instagram

The residential project, which was titled ‘Ballet by Sharapova’, was ‘aggressively promoted’ by Maria and it also ‘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.’

Instagram

So far the charges have been brought against Homestead Infrastructure Development, Homestead Infrastructure Maintenance, Homestead Arabic Homes, the company directors and Maria Sharapova.

Instagram

More From Bestie