Jacqueline Fernandez Under ED Fire

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Monday opposed Bollywood actor Jacqueline Fernandez’s plea seeking to turn approver in the Rs 200 crore money laundering case linked to alleged conman Sukesh Chandrashekhar, telling a Delhi court that her conduct during the investigation was “not satisfactory” and that she failed to fully cooperate with the probe.

Appearing before the Patiala House Court, the federal anti-money laundering agency contended that Jacqueline did not make a “full and true disclosure” in her statements recorded under Section 50 of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).

The ED said that during the course of the investigation, Jacqueline’s conduct was not cooperative as she “consistently failed to make full and truthful disclosures” in connection with the proceeds of crime allegedly generated by Chandrashekhar.

Opposing her plea to become a prosecution witness, the ED further alleged that Jacqueline continued to remain in regular contact with Chandrashekhar even after becoming aware of his criminal antecedents.

According to the probe agency, Chandrashekhar had arranged “all benefits, gifts and valuables” for Jacqueline out of the proceeds of crime generated through the alleged money laundering activities.

After hearing the submissions, the Patiala House Court granted time to Jacqueline Fernandez’s counsel to file a rejoinder to the ED’s reply and posted the matter for further hearing on May 12.

The ED has accused Jacqueline of allegedly receiving luxury gifts worth around Rs 7 crore from Chandrashekhar. However, the actor has consistently maintained that she had no knowledge about his alleged criminal activities or the source of the money used for those gifts.

In September last year, the Supreme Court had declined to entertain Jacqueline Fernandez’s plea seeking the quashing of the money laundering proceedings initiated against her by the ED.

Senior advocate Mukul Rohatgi, appearing for Jacqueline before the apex court, had argued that she could not be prosecuted under Sections 3 and 4 of the PMLA as she had no knowledge that the gifts received from Chandrashekhar were proceeds of crime.

The Justice Datta-led Bench, however, referred to the Supreme Court’s judgment in the Vijay Madanlal Choudhary case, upholding the ED’s powers under the PMLA and observed that allegations at the stage of framing of charges must be accepted as they stand.

The ED has filed multiple charge sheets in the case and named Jacqueline Fernandez as an accused in a supplementary prosecution complaint, while another Bollywood actor, Nora Fatehi, was examined as a witness.

The probe agency has alleged that Chandrashekhar’s aide Pinky Irani facilitated the delivery of luxury gifts and expensive items to Jacqueline on his behalf.

The money laundering case stems from allegations that Chandrashekhar cheated the wives of former Ranbaxy promoters Shivinder Singh and Malvinder Singh of nearly Rs 200 crore. However, Fernandez maintained that she had no role in laundering Chandrashekhar’s alleged illegal wealth.

The 40-year-old Sri Lankan actress, who entered Bollywood after winning the Miss Universe Sri Lanka crown in 2006, has been a prominent figure in Hindi cinema for over a decade, also featuring in music videos and reality shows.