New Petition Filed in Court; Notice Issued to ED (Image Source: Internet)
New Delhi: The ₹200 crore money laundering case involving Jacqueline Fernandez has taken a new turn. A special court in Delhi has sought a response from the Enforcement Directorate (ED) regarding her petition, in which she has expressed her desire to turn ‘approver’—that is, to become a government witness. Special Judge Prashant Sharma has issued a notice to the ED and has scheduled the next hearing for April 20.
Previously, Jacqueline Fernandez had been summoned for questioning multiple times in connection with this case. However, the ED subsequently named her as an accused for the first time while filing a supplementary chargesheet. Her new petition makes it clear that she now wishes to pursue the path of becoming a government witness by cooperating with the investigation.
Jacqueline has faced legal setbacks in this matter in the past as well. The Delhi High Court had dismissed her petition seeking to quash the ECIR (Enforcement Case Information Report) filed against her. Subsequently, the Supreme Court of India also declined to interfere with the High Court's verdict.
This case revolves around alleged conman Sukesh Chandrashekar, who is accused of defrauding victims of approximately ₹200 crore. According to the Delhi Police, he swindled this sum from the families of former Ranbaxy promoters, Shivinder Singh and Malvinder Singh.
The investigation has revealed that Sukesh Chandrashekar and his wife, Leena Paulose, laundered these funds through a 'hawala' network and shell companies. Both individuals were arrested by the Delhi Police, and stringent laws—such as MCOCA—have been invoked in this case.
All eyes are now fixed on the ED's response in this case. If Jacqueline Fernandez is granted permission to turn approver, the case could take a significant turn, potentially leading to several key revelations during the investigation.
