ED names actor Jacqueline as accused in Sukesh PMLA case

NEW DELHI: A Delhi court will consider on August 31 a supplementary charge sheet filed Wednesday by the Enforcement Directorate in a Rs 200 crore money laundering case involving alleged conman Sukesh Chandrashekar, naming Bollywood actor Jacqueline Fernandez as an accused.

Fernandez, who was summoned by ED several times in the matter for investigation, has been named as an accused in the charge sheet for the first time in the case.

ED’s earlier charge sheet and one supplementary charge sheet did not mention her name as an accused.

The documents, however, had mentioned the detail of the statement recorded by Fernandez and Nora Fatehi in the matter.

Additional Sessions Judge Praveen Singh posted the matter for August 31 on the issue of taking cognisance of supplementary charge sheet.

The actor, a Sri Lankan national, debuted here in 2009. The ED in April provisionally attached Rs 7.27 crore funds of the actor under the PMLA apart from Rs 15 lakh cash as the agency called these funds as “proceeds of crime.” “Sukesh Chandrasekhar had given various gifts worth Rs 5.71 crore to Jacqueline Fernandez from the proceeds of crime generated by criminal activities including extortion.”

“Chandrasekhar had put Pinky Irani, his longtime associate and co-accused in this case to deliver the said gifts to her,” the ED had then said.

In addition to these gifts, it said, Chandrasekhar also gave “funds to the tune of USD 1,72,913 (about Rs 1.3 crore as per current exchange rate) and AUD 26,740 (approx. Rs 14 lakh) to the close family members of Fernandez out of the proceeds of crime through co-accused Avtar Singh Kochhar, an established and well known international hawala operator.”

The agency said its probe found that Chandrasekhar had “delivered cash to the tune of Rs 15 lakh to a script writer on behalf of Fernandez as advance for writing a script of her web series project.”

The ED has alleged that Chandrasekhar used illegal money to purchase gifts for Fernandez which he had extorted by cheating high-profile people.