Rs 200 crore fraud case: Delhi Court to frame charges against Jacqueline Fernandez and other accused

NEW DELHI: A Delhi court has ordered the framing of charges against Bollywood actress Jacqueline Fernandez and other accused in a money laundering case linked to an alleged Rs 200 crore fraud. The order was issued by Additional Sessions Judge Prashant Sharma. Apart from Jacqueline Fernandez, the other accused in the case include Sukesh Chandrasekhar and Leena Maria Paul. The money was allegedly cheated from Aditi Singh, founder of the Lichhavi Foundation. The court also directed that charges be framed against Sukesh Chandrasekhar and Leena Maria Paul under the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA). However, Jacqueline Fernandez is not an accused in the extortion case.

Judge Prashant Sharma observed that there is sufficient prima facie evidence to frame charges against the accused under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA). The court noted that there is enough evidence to proceed against 17 accused persons, including Sukesh Chandrasekhar, Leena Maria Paul, Jacqueline Fernandez, and Pinky Irani. The case has been posted to June 3 for the formal process of framing charges.

The case was originally registered by the Delhi Police based on a complaint lodged by Aditi Singh, wife of Shivinder Singh, a former promoter of Fortis Healthcare. According to investigators, Sukesh and his associates allegedly posed as senior government officials and cheated Aditi Singh of Rs 200 crore. Following the complaint, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) registered a money laundering case under the PMLA.

Earlier, the Delhi High Court had dismissed Jacqueline Fernandez's plea seeking to quash the charge sheet filed against her by the ED. The actress is currently out on bail. She had also recently withdrawn her application seeking to become an approver (government witness) in the case. Meanwhile, Sukesh Chandrasekhar, the main accused, remains in jail. Although Leena Maria Paul was granted bail by the High Court in the money laundering case, her bail plea in the extortion case was rejected. Bail applications filed by other accused are currently pending before the Delhi High Court.