The Delhi High Court has issued a notice to the Directorate of Enforcement (ED) in response to Bollywood actor Jacqueline Fernandez’s plea seeking the quashing of the FIR (First Information Report) and supplementary chargesheet filed by the ED in a Rs 200 crore money laundering case. The case involves alleged conman Sukesh Chandrashekhar.
During the hearing, the ED opposed Jacqueline’s plea, stating that she had continued to accept gifts from Sukesh even after knowing about his criminal background. They argued that her petition was an attempt to stall the proceedings.
Jacqueline’s plea claims that she is an innocent victim of Sukesh’s targeted attack and that there is no evidence of her involvement in aiding him in laundering his alleged ill-gotten wealth. She argues that she should not be prosecuted for the offences under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act.
She also alleges that the ED has acted in a partisan manner and given a clean chit to others, such as Nora Fatehi, despite evidence of their involvement. Jacqueline argues that the investigation against her is malicious and reflects a mala fide intent.
The ED’s case against Jacqueline is based on a single alleged news article shared with her, which she argues does not provide any indication of her knowledge of Sukesh’s imprisonment or involvement in any scheduled offence.
Jacqueline, a Sri Lankan national living in India for over a decade, has cooperated with the ED and attended all court proceedings. She is ready to comply with any conditions imposed by the court if her plea is granted.
The money laundering case is connected to an extortion case involving Sukesh Chandrasekhar, who is accused of cheating and extorting Aditi Singh, the wife of former promoter of Religare Enterprises, Shivinder Mohan Singh. Chandrasekhar allegedly posed as a government official and promised to secure bail for Singh.
Both Chandrasekhar and his wife, Leena Maria Paul, were arrested last year for their alleged involvement in the case.
The Delhi High Court has fixed January 29, 2024, for further hearings on Jacqueline’s plea seeking the quashing of the FIR and proceedings initiated by the ED.
