Tennis star Maria Sharapova is being investigated by Indian police in a cheating and criminal conspiracy case after endorsing a luxury housing project that never took off.
Real estate firm Homestead Infrastructure have been accused of taking millions of dollars from home buyers for a project called 'Ballet by Maria Sharapova.'
The Russian tennis player travelled to India in 2013 to launch the project for the luxury apartment complex which promised its own helipad, tennis academy and other amenities.
The police investigation involving Sharapova's involvement began last week after Piyush Singh, a lawyer representing one of the home buyers, said Sharapova's celebrity endorsement was the reason most people invested in the project.
Singh said the investigation based on his client's complaint was testing relatively new legal ground and that celebrities had responsibilities when lending their name to projects.
