Previously, Bollywood actress Jacqueline Fernandez’s involvement with conman Sukesh Chandrasekhar has created huge controversies. Sukesh Chandrasekhar is involved in a money laundering case of nearly Rs 200 crore. Jacqueline is accused of receiving expensive gifts from Sukesh that were allegedly part of the proceeds of the crime. The actress’s lawyers have challenged the charges in the case, 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 expensive gifts from Sukesh
On Wednesday, November 13, the lawyer of the actress asserted that she was not aware that the gifts given to her came from 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 to indicate that Jacqueline knew of the fraudulent means of the gifts.
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 there was no crime committed by her because she did not knowingly receive proceeds from illegal activities. He clarified that although Jacqueline saw a newspaper article in 2019 about Sukesh Chandrasekhar, she did not take the article seriously or investigate further. He also said that there was no legal requirement for Jacqueline to verify the information in the article.
The Enforcement Directorate’s (ED) accusations on Jacqueline
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’s associate, Pinky Irani, misled the actress and convinced her that Sukesh had powerful political connections. He said that Jacqueline was oblivious to Sukesh’s criminal background and had stopped communicating with him after seeing 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 political connections, Jacqueline is being made a scapegoat and that she was simply misled by him and his associates.
Talking about Sukesh Chandrasekhar, who is currently in jail on charges of extorting Rs 200 crore, sent a handwritten letter to congratulate Donald Trump on his victory in the US presidential election. In this letter, Sukesh also cited his relationship with Jacqueline and shared his plans to invest Rs 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.
