The Delhi High Court has issued a notice to the Directorate of Enforcement (ED) following Bollywood actor Jacqueline Fernandez’s plea seeking the quashing of the ECIR (FIR) and supplementary chargesheet filed in a Rs 200 crore money laundering case involving alleged conman Sukesh Chandrashekhar. The court fixed January 29, 2024, for further hearings after hearing arguments.
During the proceedings, the ED objected to Jacqueline’s plea, claiming that she continued to accept gifts from Sukesh despite knowing about his criminal history. Senior advocate Siddharth Aggarwal argued that the petition is an attempt to stall proceedings, citing Sukesh’s current imprisonment and involvement in extortion and fraud. Aggarwal emphasized that the investigation is still ongoing and that the trial cannot begin until it is completed.
In her plea, Jacqueline claimed to be an innocent victim of Sukesh Chandrashekhar’s targeted attack, asserting that the evidence presented by the ED would support her innocence. She argued that there is no indication of her involvement in aiding Sukesh in money laundering offenses. Additionally, she accused the ED of conducting a biased investigation by not arraigning other individuals, such as Nora Fatehi, who received gifts from Sukesh.
Jacqueline’s plea questioned the ED’s inconsistent approach, alleging a malafide investigation against her. She contended that the ED’s case relied on a single news article shared with her, which was published in 2020, over a year before the FIR in the predicate offense was registered. The article contained no information about the scheduled offense, making it impossible to attribute knowledge of the crime to Jacqueline based on that article.
The actor is being investigated by the ED in connection with the Rs 200 crore money laundering case involving Sukesh Chandrashekhar. Jacqueline Fernandez, a Sri Lankan national residing in India since 2009, emphasized her compliance with legal procedures and expressed readiness to abide by any conditions imposed by the court.
The ED case stems from an FIR filed by Delhi Police’s Economic Offences Wing against Sukesh Chandrashekhar, accused of cheating and extorting Aditi Singh, the wife of former Religare Enterprises promoter Shivinder Mohan Singh. The case involves allegations of impersonation and financial misappropriation, with Chandrashekhar and his associates reportedly duping individuals by posing as government officials. Both Sukesh Chandrashekhar and his wife, Leena Maria Paul, were arrested in September last year for their roles in the case.