ED Names Jacqueline Fernandez As Accused In Money Laundering Case

NEW DELHI: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has decided to name Bollywood actress Jacqueline Fernandez as an accused in a multi-crore money laundering case linked to alleged conman Sukesh Chandrashekhar and others, official sources said on Wednesday. The ED is slated to file a fresh (second supplementary) charge sheet or prosecution complaint before a special Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) court in Delhi.

It may be recollected that the Vikrant Rona actress was questioned multiple times by the agency in this case, the last being in June. The ED in April provisionally attached Rs 7.27 crore funds of the actress under the PMLA apart from Rs 15 lakh cash which 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 long-time associate, and co-accused in this case, to deliver the said gifts to her," the ED had said.

In addition to these gifts, 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 writer on behalf of Fernandez as advance for writing a script of her web series project."

The ED has alleged that Chandrashekhar used illegal money to purchase gifts for Fernandez which he had extorted by cheating high-profile people including former Fortis Healthcare promoter Shivinder Mohan Singh's wife Aditi Singh. 

Jacqueline Fernandez told the ED, in her statement recorded in August and October last year, that she "received" gifts like three designer bags from Gucci, Chanel, two Gucci outfits for gym wear, a pair of Louis Vuitton shoes, two pairs of diamond earrings and a bracelet of multi-coloured stones and two Hermes bracelets from Chandrashekhar. ernandez further said that she returned a Mini Cooper car which she had similarly received.
The agency found in its probe that Chandrashekhar was in "regular contact" with Fernandez from February till he got arrested on August 7 last year by the Delhi Police.

Jacqueline Fernandez's intimate photos of her with Sukesh went viral on social media. A picture showed her being kissed by Chandrasekhar on the nose and with a hickey on her neck, leading to netizens making disparaging remarks against the actress. Jacqueline Fernandez appealed to the media to not circulate pictures that intrude on her privacy in a message.

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