Bollywood actress Jacqueline Fernandez continues to face legal scrutiny in connection with the Rs 200 crore money laundering case involving alleged conman Sukesh Chandrasekhar. The actress has consistently maintained that she was a victim of Sukesh's deception and had no involvement in the alleged scam. However, recent developments in the case have taken a significant turn.
Court Orders Charges Against All Accused
Additional Sessions Judge Prashant Sharma of the Patiala House Court has directed that charges be framed against all accused in the case. While discussing Jacqueline's alleged role, the court remarked, “She was in connivance with Sukesh Chandrasekhar to conceal the use of proceeds of crime (POC).” The court observed that there was prima facie material suggesting that she accepted expensive gifts from Sukesh despite being aware of his criminal background.
Details of Alleged Gifts and Transfers
According to the court, Jacqueline is accused of receiving gifts worth Rs 5.71 crore from Sukesh Chandrasekhar even after being informed about his criminal antecedents by co-accused Pinky Irani and Leepakshi Ellawadi. Investigators have further alleged that $172,000 (over Rs 1.4 crore) was transferred to the foreign bank account of her sister, Geraldine J Walker, while Australian $26,000 (over Rs 10 lakh) was deposited into the account of her brother, Warren J Fernandez.
Legal Basis for Charges
Explaining the basis for framing charges, ASJ Sharma stated, “I conclude that prima facie there is sufficient material on record, raising a strong suspicion that the accused Jacqueline Fernandez committed the offence under section 3 of PMLA, punishable under section 4 of PMLA.” The court also referred to Jacqueline's statement regarding luxury vehicles allegedly purchased for her parents using proceeds of crime.
Evidence of Concealment
The court noted that during the recording of her statement, Jacqueline Fernandez, upon being confronted with evidence of the purchase of cars for her parents recovered from the mobile of Pinki, admitted to receiving cars from her parents. This indicated her connivance with the accused Sukesh for concealing the use of POC, which was to buy the cars for her parents.
Knowledge of Criminal Activities
Further, the court observed that Jacqueline was aware of Sukesh's alleged criminal activities. It noted that she had been sent a news article detailing his alleged involvement in multiple cases, including the TTV Dinakaran bribery case, the Canara Bank fraud case, and schemes in which investors were allegedly cheated through bogus firms promising high returns. Despite this, the court said she allegedly continued to receive proceeds of crime in the form of luxury gifts, financial transfers made to her siblings, and a car purchased for her parents.
The case continues to unfold as legal proceedings advance, with the court emphasizing the strong suspicion against Jacqueline Fernandez under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).
