Jacqueline Fernandez's plea to quash ED case rejected

The Delhi High Court on Thursday dismissed the actor Jacqueline Fernandez's petition challenging the Enforcement Directorate's complaint under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA). Fernandes had sought the quashing of the ED’s case against her related to the Rs 200 crore money laundering case involving alleged conman Sukesh Chandrasekhar.

Justice Anish Dayal dismissed her plea, which also sought to quash the second supplementary chargesheet of the Enforcement Directorate in the case and proceedings are pending in a Delhi trial court, as reported by a news agency..

The ED counsel opposed the petition on the ground of maintainability, saying a special court had taken cognisance of the prosecution complaint (chargesheet) and prima facie found a case. The cognisance order was not challenged, the counsel added.

In the plea, Jacqueline challenged the ED’s complaint and the second supplementary chargesheet under Sections 3 and 4 of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002. In her appeal, Jacqueline claimed that Sukesh trapped her. The plea claimed that Jacqueline Fernandez did not commit any offence of money laundering as defined under the scheme of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 20202 and neither was she in possession of proceeds of crime.

It further said that the complaint by Aditi Singh, wife of former Ranbaxy owner Shivinder Singh, does not allege that the petitioner (Jacqueline Fernandez) in any manner actively aided or abetted the main accused, Sukesh Chandrashekhar, to commit the alleged offences.

The Delhi Police had charged Chandrasekhar for allegedly duping the spouses of former promoters of Ranbaxy, Shivinder Singh and Malvinder Singh, of Rs 200 crore. There are other ongoing investigations against him in several cases across the country.