₹200 Crore Money Laundering Case: Actress Jacqueline Moves Delhi HC, Seeks Quashing Of FIR, Proceedings

Bollywood actor Jacqueline Fernandez has recently approached the Delhi High Court to request the quashing of the ECIR (FIR) and supplementary chargesheet filed by the ED in the Rs 200 Crore money laundering case involving alleged conman Sukesh Chandrashekhar.

The petition asserts that the evidence submitted by the ED will demonstrate that the petitioner is an innocent victim of Sukesh Chandrashekhar’s maliciously targeted attack.

There is no indication that Jacqueline Fernandez had any involvement whatsoever in aiding him to launder his purportedly ill-gotten wealth.

Consequently, Jacqueline Fernandez can’t be prosecuted for the offenses under Sections 3 and 4 of the PMLA, 2002.

Jacqueline Fernandez also contends that the ED displayed partiality in arraigning the petitioner as an accused in the impugned complaint.

Despite an admitted fact on record that her family member received a BMW car from Sukesh Chandrashekhar on her instructions, actress Nora Fatehi has been given a clean chit by the ED.

It is noteworthy that the fact of Nora Fatehi receiving a gift from Sukesh Chandrashekhar has been presented by the ED under the head ‘Dissipation of Proceeds of Crime.’

Furthermore, Jacqueline Fernandez points out that the ED is employing a double standard.

In similar circumstances, the petitioner has been arraigned as an accused, Aditi Singh has been identified as the original complainant, and artists like Nora Fatehi, whose family member received a BMW car, as well as other artists like Nikita Tamboli, Chahatt Khanna, and Sophia Singh, who physically visited the Tihar Jail premises, have not been arraigned as accused.

This indicates a malafide investigation against the present petitioner.

The entire case presented by the ED relies on a single alleged news article shared with the petitioner.

According to the plea, based on this sole piece of evidence, the ED contends that the petitioner might have been aware of Sukesh’s imprisonment but still chose to accept gifts from him, leading to her being arraigned as an accused for the offense of money laundering.

A simple examination of this article reveals that it was published in the year 2020, more than a year before the date on which the FIR in the predicate offense was registered by the Economic Offense Wing (EOW) Delhi.

This article contains no information whatsoever about the scheduled offense, making it impossible to ascribe any knowledge of the scheduled offense to the petitioner based on this article.

Currently, Jacqueline Fernandez is under investigation by the ED in a Rs-200 crore money laundering case involving alleged conman Sukesh Chandrasekhar.

Jacqueline Fernandez appeared before the probe agency for questioning in a money laundering investigation against alleged conman Sukesh Chandrashekhar and others.

She is a Sri Lankan national living in India since 2009. Belonging to the Bollywood fraternity, she holds a good reputation in the industry, as stated in the application.

She previously mentioned that, as a renowned film actress, she has been invited to events, press conferences, rehearsals, and participation in various events.

The applicant has consistently cooperated with the investigation before the ED and has attended all court proceedings, adhering to the law of the land.

Jacqueline Fernandez has expressed her readiness and willingness to abide by any conditions that the court may deem fit to impose if the prayer sought is granted, in accordance with the law.

Previously, the EOW of Delhi Police has filed a supplementary chargesheet against Pinki in connection with the investigation of the Rs 200-crore extortion case involving conman Sukesh Chandrasekhar.

According to the Delhi Police, Mumbai-based Pinky Irani is considered a close aide of Chandrashekhar and introduced him to Bollywood actor Jacqueline Fernandez.

The fresh supplementary also mentions progress made through the recording of various statements, including those of Jacqueline Fernandez, Nora Fatehi, etc.

This ED case is based on an FIR filed by Delhi Police’s EOW against Sukesh Chandrasekhar, who is accused of cheating and extorting Aditi Singh, the wife of the former promoter of Religare Enterprises, Shivinder Mohan Singh.

He was arrested in October 2019 in a case related to the alleged misappropriation of funds at Religare Finvest Ltd.

Sukesh Chandrasekhar and his associates allegedly took money from Aditi after posing as government officials and promising to secure bail for her husband.

Sukesh Chandrasekhar reportedly persuaded Aditi to transfer money by impersonating a central government official over a spoof call while he was lodged in Rohini jail and promised to manage bail for her husband.

Both Sukesh Chandrasekhar and his actor wife Leena Maria Paul got arrested by the Delhi Police in September last year for their alleged role in the duping case.