Jacqueline Fernandez is one of the celebrities in the Rs 200 crore money laundering case. She has been summoned by the Enforcement Directorate many times. The actress’s lawyer says she has been co-operating with the ED. In the meantime, the ED has filed a supplementary charge sheet against her.
This case is also related to the extortion case of Sukesh Chandrashekhar. According to the ED, Chandrashekhar was accused of defrauding well-known people, including politicians and celebrities. He allegedly played with emotions and extorted money from sources. He introduced himself as the owner of Sun TV and claimed that the late Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J. Jayalalitha was his aunt.
The ED also alleged that Chandrashekhar had sent money to Jacqueline Fernandez from Shivinder Mohan Singh. Chandrashekhar is believed to have been involved in duping a number of Bollywood personalities and businessmen, including Aditi Singh and Riteish Deshmukh. His wife Leena Maria Paul was also arrested for her involvement in the case. During her arrest, she was accompanied by her close aide Pinky Irani. They were arrested in September last year.
The ED has accused Fernandez of receiving gifts from the alleged conman. Earlier, the actor was not mentioned in the ED’s supplementary charge sheet. However, after granting her bail on November 15, she was made a part of the investigation. During her brief hearing on November 24, she said that she was asked to take statements from the ED. She also said that she had received a gift from Chandrashekhar. At the end of the hearing, the court ordered that the ED should present arguments in the case.
On January 16, the court issued notice to the ED in this regard. Earlier, the court had directed the ED to take possession of 26 cars allegedly connected to the alleged conman. But the ED appealed against the trial court’s order. As a result, the high court rejected the appeal.
It is to be noted that the Delhi High Court has taken cognizance of the supplementary charge sheet filed by the ED. The case has now been adjourned. The prosecution has sought extra time to prepare its arguments. It has also requested that the actor be allowed to travel abroad. Jacqueline Fernandez has applied for a travel permit to visit her mother in Bahrain, according to her attorney.
The Delhi court also listed the matter for hearing on December 12. Prosecution is expected to present its arguments in the case. Jacqueline Fernandez will appear before the court on December 22. Her lawyers Prashant Patil and Shakti Pandey will be present with her. During the hearing, she will testify on her role in the extortion case.
The case is likely to be taken up again on January 6. The Delhi court also ordered the ED to produce Sukesh Chandrashekhar in the next hearing. After hearing the plea, the judge suggested that the question of charge should be decided first. Afterwards, the judge said that the actress could withdraw the application, if she felt comfortable.
