'Strong Suspicion Jacqueline Fernandez Received Luxurious Gifts From Sukesh': Court In Money Laundering Case

New Delhi: A Delhi Court on Saturday directed that charges be framed against Bollywood actor Jacqueline Fernandez and others in a money laundering case linked with Sukesh Chandrasekhar.

While framing charges, the court noted that there is prima facie sufficient material to indicate Jacqueline Fernandez received luxurious gifts from Sukesh Chandrasekhar despite having knowledge of his criminal antecedents.

"She was in connivance with Sukesh Chandrasekhar to conceal the use of proceeds of crime (POC)," the court noted.

Additional Sessions Judge (ASJ) Prashant Sharma of Patiala House Court directed to frame charges against all Accused persons in the alleged money laundering case. The matter will now proceed for formal framing of charges, where the accused persons will either accept or deny the charges framed against them on June 3.

ASJ Prashant Sharma said, “I conclude that prima facie there is sufficient material on record, raising a strong suspicion that the accused Jacquelin Fernandez committed the offence under section 3 of PMLA, punishable under section 4 of PMLA.”

While framing the charges, the court noted that allegations against the accused Jacqueline Fernandez were that she received gifts worth Rs 5,71,11,942 from Sukesh Chandrasekhar, knowing well of his criminal antecedents through accused Pinky Irani as well as Leepakshi Ellawadi.

It is also alleged that she received an amount to the tune of USD 172913 into the foreign bank account of her sister Geraldine J Walker and an amount to the tune of AUD 26740 into the foreign bank account of her brother Warren J Fernandez.

The court observed, “During the recording of the statement, Jacqueline Fernandez and, upon being confronted with evidence of the purchase of Cars for the parents of Jacqueline, recovered from the mobile of Pinki, she admitted to receiving cars from her parents, which indicated her connivance with the accused Sukesh for concealing the use of POC, which was to buy the Cars for her parents.”

The court said that accused Jacqueline Fernandez was fully aware of the criminal antecedents of the accused Sukesh as the news article capturing the involvement of accused Sukesh and his wife in commission of various offences namely TTV Dinakaran Bribery Case, Canara Bank Fraud Case and defrauding people in the name of investment in their bogus firms on the promise of high returns, through news articles sent by Shaan Muttathil to her and accused Pinky Irani but despite knowledge of criminal antecedent of accused Sukesh she received the proceeds of crime in form of luxurious gifts, payment to her brother and car gifted to her parents.

"Therefore, Jacqueline Fernandez is involved in the use of the proceeds of crime and also assisted in the laundering of proceeds of crime generated through criminal activity and in that manner, she committed the offence of money laundering under section 3 of PMLA, 2002, punishable under section 4 of the said Act," ASJ Prashant Sharma said in an order passed on May 30.

The role of the accused Jacqueline Fernandez is described in the second supplementary complaint (charge sheet), which is accompanied by relevant statements of various persons recorded under section 50(2) PMLA, bank account statements, call details and chats, the court noted. 

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