Jacqueline Fernandez moves HC over money laundering case, says ED probe ‘malafide’

Jacqueline Fernandez moves Delhi High Court to quash FIR & ED chargesheet in ₹200-crore money laundering case.

Bollywood actor Jacqueline Fernandez has moved the Delhi High Court seeking the quashing of an FIR against her by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in a ₹200-crore money laundering case, involving alleged conman Sukesh Chandrasekhar.

In her petition, Ms. Fernandez also sought to quash the ED’s second supplementary chargesheet in the case and related proceedings pending before a trial court here.

The 38-year-old actor had previously appeared before the Central probe agency for questioning in the investigation against Mr. Chandrasekhar and other accused.

The Delhi police had earlier registered an FIR against Mr. Chandrashekar for allegedly duping the spouses of former promoters of Ranbaxy — Shivinder Singh and Malvinder Singh — of ₹200 crore. The alleged conman is being investigated in several cases across the country.

“At the outset, it is submitted that evidence filed by the Directorate of Enforcement would prove that the petitioner [Fernandez] is an innocent victim of Sukesh Chandrasekhar’s maliciously targeted attack,” the actor’s plea stated.

Arguing that the investigation against her was “malafide”, it added, “… artists like Nikita Tamboli, Chahatt Khanna and Sophia Singh, who physically visited the Tihar jail premises, have not been arraigned as an accused.”

“The ED has given a clean chit to Nora Fatehi, despite it being an admitted fact on record that her family member received a BMW car from Sukesh Chandrasekhar on her instructions. It is of importance to note that the fact of Nora Fatehi receiving gifts from Sukesh Chandrasekhar has been presented to ED under the head ‘dissipation of proceeds of crime’.