In a major twist in a Rs 200-crore money laundering case against alleged conman Sukesh Chandrashekhar, actor Jacqueline Fernandez recently told a Delhi court that she wants to turn an approver in the matter. The court informed her that she would have to make a formal request to the Enforcement Directorate (ED) for the same.
The Patiala House Court on Friday issued notice to the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on her plea and listed the matter for hearing on April 20.
As per the procedure, such a request has to be made with the probe agency, which would record her statement and then decide whether to move an application before the court to make her an approver. The development came months after the Supreme Court refused to cancel the criminal proceedings against Jacqueline in the case.
Chandrasekhar, who is currently lodged in jail in connection with multiple cases, has consistently claimed to be the actor's boyfriend. He has expressed his affection for the actor on multiple occasions by sending letters to her from jail, often on special occasions.
While leaked pictures suggest they both knew each other, Jacqueline has claimed in court that she was misled by Sukesh into believing that he was a legitimate businessman.
In September last year, the Supreme Court had refused to entertain Jacqueline's plea challenging the Delhi High Court's decision to not cancel money-laundering proceedings initiated against her by the Enforcement Directorate.
The actor, who has categorically denied all allegations, maintains that she had no knowledge of Sukesh's criminal background. The ED, however, has named her a co-accused in its chargesheet filed in August 2022.
In an earlier statement, she said, "Sukesh played with my emotions and made my life hell," adding that he "misled me" and damaged her career and livelihood.
The central probe agency has alleged that Jacqueline accepted luxury gifts like jewellery, clothes and vehicles worth more than Rs 7 crore from Sukesh despite knowing about his involvement in criminal activities.
The ED also claimed that the actor deleted data from her phone after the conman's arrest and initially concealed details of her financial dealings with him before eventually admitting them when confronted with evidence.
The particular case pertains to a Rs 215-crore fraudulent scheme through which Sukesh would allegedly target high-profile individuals through impersonation and deceit.
Source: ANI