Jacqueline Fernandez chose to skip conman’s criminal past: ED

Bollywood actor Jacqueline Fernandez consciously chose to overlook the criminal past of conman Sukesh Chandrashekhar and continued to indulge in financial transactions with him, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) has informed a Delhi court.

Bollywood actor Jacqueline Fernandez consciously chose to overlook the criminal past of conman Sukesh Chandrashekhar and continued to indulge in financial transactions with him, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) has informed a Delhi court.

Actor Jacqueline Fernandez has been booked by ED under provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act. (ANI)

In a supplementary charge sheet filed at Patiala House court in a ₹200-crore money laundering probe against Chandrashekhar, in which Fernandez has been named as an accused, ED said the actor was “directly or indirectly involved in the proceeds of crime and acquired, possessed & used part proceeds of crime” and “cooked up a false story” to wriggle out of the case.

“Not only her but her family members and friends have benefited out of the relationship financially. Thus, it can be safely concluded that the lure of money ensured that the criminal history of the person she was engaging with did not matter,” the charge sheet, which was filed on August 17 and reviewed by HT, said.

Chandrasekhar arranged funds to the tune of $172,913 in the bank account of Fernandez’s sister, Geraldine J Walker, in the United States at the actor’s request, ED alleged.

The conman also allegedly arranged funds to the tune of 26,470 Australian dollars in the bank account of her brother, Warren Fernandez, in Australia and purchased two luxury cars – a Maserati and a Porsche – for her parents in Bahrain, the agency said.

Fernandez, who has been booked under provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, was aware of Chandrasekhar’s criminal antecedents in February last year through articles shared by her staff but continued to receive gifts and money in cash and banking channels from him between January and July, 2021, till the conman was arrested, ED said.

On the actor’s conduct during the probe, ED said her statement was recorded on five occasions over the last one year.

ED also accused Fernandez of “holding back” the truth and changing her statements consistently and said the actor has also been booked for tampering with evidence.

“It is also a fact that Jacqueline Fernandez wiped out the entire data from her mobile phone after the arrest of Sukesh Chandrasekhar, thereby tampering with the evidence. She also asked her colleagues to destroy the evidence,” it said.

“Evidence proves beyond doubt that she had been enjoying, using and is in possession of proceeds of crime,” it added.

Additional sessions judge Praveen Singh took cognisance of the charge sheet and asked Fernandez to appear before the court on September 26.

Meanwhile, the Economic Offences Wing (EOW) of the Delhi Police complained that Fernandez was not appearing before them despite several summons.

To this, the counsel for the actor said she would appear for probe on September 12.