Bollywood actress Jacqueline Fernandez’s involvement with conman Sukesh Chandrasekhar sparked widespread controversy. Sukesh Chandrasekhar is involved in a money laundering case of nearly INR 200 crore. Jacqueline is accused of receiving luxury gifts from Sukesh that were allegedly proceeds of the crime. The actress’s lawyers have challenged the charges, claiming that Jacqueline was unaware of the illegal source of the gifts she received.
Bollywood actress Jacqueline Fernandez’s lawyer opened up about her accepting luxury gifts from Sukesh. On November 13, the actress’s lawyer asserted that she was unaware that the gifts she received were the proceeds of a crime. Her legal team claimed that the actress had no involvement in the illegal activity and did not know that the gifts were part of the money that Sukesh allegedly took from Aditi Singh. The lawyer further argued that there was no evidence indicating that Jacqueline knew of the fraudulent means by which the gifts were made.
During the court session, Justice Anish Dayal questioned whether it is the responsibility of an adult person to review the source of the gifts they receive. This question could help decide whether Jacqueline should have known the gifts were linked to a crime.
The next hearing in this case is scheduled for November 26, when the court will discuss it further. Siddharth Agrawal, the senior lawyer representing Jacqueline, argued that she committed no crime because she did not knowingly receive proceeds from illegal activities. He clarified that although Jacqueline saw a 2019 newspaper article about Sukesh Chandrasekhar, she did not take it seriously or investigate further. He also said that there was no legal requirement for Jacqueline to verify the information in the article.
Enforcement Directorate (ED) claimed that Jacqueline should have been aware of the criminal nature of the gifts she received. ED, investigating the case, suggests that Jacqueline may have been involved in the crime as she failed to investigate the source of the gifts. However, Jacqueline’s lawyer argued that Sukesh misled Pinky Irani, leading her to believe that Sukesh had powerful political connections. He said that Jacqueline was unaware of Sukesh’s background and had stopped communicating with him after reading the article.
The lawyer also stressed that Jacqueline never directly asked for the gifts and did not knowingly participate in any illegal activities. The defense argued that because of Sukesh’s social connections, Jacqueline is being made a scapegoat and that he and his associates misled her.
Sukesh Chandrasekhar, who is currently in jail on charges of extorting Rs 200 crore, sent a handwritten letter congratulating Donald Trump on his victory in the US presidential election. In this letter, Sukesh also cited his relationship with Jacqueline. He shared his plans to invest INR 1130 crore (about $135 million) into a Los Angeles studio, which he claimed would be dedicated to her.
Sukesh Chandrashekhar was arrested on May 29, 2015, on charges including cheating and criminal conspiracy under Sections 420 and 120-B of the Indian Penal Code, and continues to face significant legal challenges. His arrest also involved violations of the Prize Chits and Money Circulation Schemes (Banning) Act and the Maharashtra Protection of Interest of Depositors (in Financial Establishments) Act.