Actor Jacqueline Fernandez has been named an accused in the money laundering case against conman Sukesh Chandrashekar, who faces ₹ 200 crore worth of charges of extortion.
The accusation was made in the supplementary chargesheet filed in a Delhi court by the Indian Enforcement Directorate (ED), which is currently investigating the money trail in the extortion case.
Earlier, Delhi Police had arrested Sukesh Chandrashekar for allegedly extorting around ₹ 215 crore from Aditi Singh and Shivendra Singh, members of the former promoters of pharmaceutical giant Ranbaxy. Taking cognizance of the Delhi Police case, the ED started its money laundering probe, reports NDTV.
The ED's first chargesheet mentioned how Chandrashekar used the allegedly swindled money. In its supplementary chargesheet, it has alleged that Chandrashekar gave Fernandez gifts worth over ₹ 5 crore from the sum he swindled.
The directorate has named the actor an accused, alleging that she was aware that the gifts were bought from the proceeds of the crime.
"Sukesh Chandrasekhar had given various gifts worth ₹ 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 a statement.
Earlier, the ED had attached assets belonging to the actor and had also questioned her. The agency in April provisionally attached ₹ 7 crore assets of the actor under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).
Among these gifts were a horse worth ₹ 52 lakh and a Persian cat worth ₹ 9 lakh, the ED has alleged. The agency has also alleged that Chandrashekar gave huge sums of money to the family members of Ms Fernandez.
Fernandez is a Sri Lankan national and made her debut in the Hindi film industry in 2009.
The ED has arrested a total of eight people in this case, including Chandrashekhar and his wife Leena Maria Paul. -NDTV
