Money Laundering Case: SC Rejects To Interfere With Order Junking Actor Jacqueline Fernandez’s Plea

Jacqueline Fernandez

Bollywood actor Jacqueline Fernandez has approached the Supreme Court of India on Monday seeking to quash proceedings initiated by the Enforcement Directorate in a ₹200 crore money laundering case linked to alleged conman Sukesh Chandrasekhar.

The petition will be heard today by a bench of Justices Dipankar Datta and AG Masih.

Challenge To Delhi HC Order

Fernandez has challenged the Delhi High Court’s July 3 order, which had refused her relief in the case. The order, delivered by Justice Anish Dayal, dismissed her plea for quashing the Enforcement Case Information Report (ECIR) and the supplementary chargesheet filed by the ED.

In her plea before the Supreme Court, Fernandez has reiterated that the ED’s own material demonstrates her innocence and portrays her as a victim of a “calculated attack orchestrated by Chandrasekhar.”

ED’s Stand

Opposing Fernandez’s plea, the ED has argued that her petition is not maintainable. Its counsel pointed out that the trial court has already taken cognisance of the prosecution complaint and found a prima facie case to proceed against her.

Fernandez has been named in the ED’s investigation into the ₹200 crore money laundering racket involving Chandrasekhar. The alleged conman, along with his wife Leena Paulose, is accused of duping the spouses of former Ranbaxy promoters Shivinder Singh and Malvinder Singh.

The Delhi Police first registered an FIR in the case, invoking serious provisions of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and the Information Technology Act, 2000. The charges include:

IPC Sections: 170 (personating public servant), 384 (extortion), 386, 388, 419 (cheating by personation), 420 (cheating), 506 (criminal intimidation), and 120B (criminal conspiracy).

IT Act: Section 66(D) (cheating by personation using a computer device).

Police have also invoked the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA), alleging the use of hawala routes and shell companies to launder money.

Gifts & Allegations

According to the ED, Chandrasekhar showered Fernandez with expensive gifts bought from proceeds of crime. The agency alleges she knowingly benefited from these gifts, a claim Fernandez has denied, maintaining she was manipulated by the accused.

In November 2022, a Delhi court granted Fernandez bail in the case. Additional Sessions Judge Shailender Malik allowed her regular bail on a bond of ₹2 lakh.