Rs 200 Crore Extortion Case: Jacqueline Fernandez, Sukesh To Face Charges

Delhi court has directed the framing of charges against Sukesh Chandrasekhar, Leena Maria Paul, Bollywood actress Jacqueline Fernandez and others. The Patiala House Court in Delhi issued the order and also issued charges against Sukesh Chandrasekhar, Leena Maria Paul and the other accused in the alleged extortion case under the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA). The ruling is a major step in a litany of actions in a long-running case that has garnered international attention because of the celebrity involvement. The court order says the charges are to be framed against the accused in the alleged money laundering case. The case relates to Rs 200 crore extortion racketeering case.

Jacqueline Fernandez, Sukesh Chandrasekhar To Face Charges

The case has been given the date of June 3 for the accused to formally sign the charges. Next hearing will be to complete the procedural aspects of the framing of charges. According to the case, Aditi Singh had filed a complaint, which led to the initiation of a case by the Delhi Police. The investigation later on was followed by a lawsuit against Sukesh Chandrasekhar, Leena Maria Paul, Jacqueline Fernandez and others.

The Patiala House Court has directed the framing of charges in the case, as it advances further in the court proceedings. More news is to follow following the formal signing of charges on June 3.

Extortion Case Takes Major Turn

The alleged extortion case of Rs 200 crore is one of the most closely followed legal cases and is ongoing in the Delhi court.

For the unversed, Jacqueline Fernandes recently withdrew her application in Delhi’s Patiala House Court to become an approver in the Rs 200 crore money laundering case linked with Sukesh Chandrasekhar. The Enforcement Directorate (ED) had opposed her plea to turn approver, saying that there is sufficient material against her being a “beneficiary of proceeds of crime.”

Additional Sessions Judge (ASJ) Prashant Sharma disposed of the application as withdrawn after noting the submissions of Advocate Ashish Batra, counsel for Jacqueline Fernandes. He submitted that she wishes to withdraw the application.

When Jacqueline Fernandes withdrew application for turning approver

The ED had filed its reply opposing the application of Jacqueline Fernandes seeking permission to turn approver. The agency opposed the application saying that her conduct during the investigation was not proper and there is sufficient material against her.

The agency said that in the present case, Jacqueline’s role is not that of a minor participant, but that of a significant beneficiary of the “proceeds of crime” and an active participant in the money laundering scheme under PMLA, 2002.

Granting her the position of an Approver in the present case would be a miscarriage of justice and would undermine the gravity of the offence she has committed. It is the right of agency to make any accsued an approver. They are opposing the application, the ED said. It said that the application is abuse of process of law.

What did ED say?

In its reply, the ED had said that Jacqueline remained in regular and sustained contact with Sukesh Chandrashekhar even after having knowledge of his criminal antecedents, who carefully arranged all benefits, gifts and articles for the Applicant out of the “proceeds of crime” involved in the offence of money laundering.

It was further said that her conduct during the investigation has been far from cooperative, as she consistently failed to make full and truthful disclosures in her statements recorded under Section 50 of the PMLA on 30.08.2021, 20.10.2021, 08.12.2021, 20.05.2022 and 27.06.2022. “Her statements were evasive, contradictory, and incomplete, requiring repeated confrontations with evidence gathered,” the ED said.

(With Inputs From ANI)

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