New Delhi: Actor Jacqueline Fernandes, on Friday, expressed her wish to become an approver in the Rs 200 crore money laundering case linked to alleged conman Sukesh Chandrasekhar.
The development came during a hearing at the Patiala House Court in New Delhi. The court, after hearing her submission, directed her to file a formal application before the concerned department.
The court has also sought a response from the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in this matter. This is a significant development in a case that has been dragging on for years and has kept the actress entangled in serious legal trouble, as reported by TIMESNOW.
An approver, under Indian law, is an accused person who agrees to cooperate with the prosecution by giving evidence against other co-accused in exchange for a pardon. Becoming an approver can reduce or eliminate the legal consequences for the person making the request, provided the court accepts it.
Chandrasekhar, while lodged in Rohini jail, allegedly ran an extortion racket using phone spoofing technology, posing as senior government officials to con Aditi Singh, the wife of former Ranbaxy owner Shivinder Singh, and others out of over Rs 200 crore.
The women believed they were paying crores to secure bail for their jailed husbands, not knowing the calls were fake.
The ED later filed a money laundering case under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) against Chandrasekhar and others including Jacqueline.
Meanwhile, Mumbai-based Pinky Irani, a close aide of Chandrasekhar, was arrested for allegedly introducing him to Bollywood personalities including Jacqueline, portraying him as a business tycoon.
The ED listed filed Jacqueline as an accused, alleging she received gifts worth crores that were proceeds of the crime. The actor consistently maintained she was deceived by Sukesh, who allegedly posed as a government official and that she had no knowledge of his criminal activities.
While she was granted bail by the trial court, both the Delhi High Court and Supreme Court refused to quash the proceedings against her.
