Bollywood actor Jacqueline Fernandez has approached the Supreme Court against a Delhi trial court's decision to frame charges against her in the Rs 200 crore money laundering case linked to alleged conman Sukesh Chandrashekhar. The matter is set to come up for hearing on Thursday before a bench comprising Justices PK Mishra and AS Chandurkar, marking the latest development in one of the country's most closely watched financial crime investigations.
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Supreme Court Agrees To Hear Plea
The top court agreed to list the matter after Fernandez's legal team sought an urgent hearing on Tuesday. Her petition challenges a May 30 order passed by a Delhi court directing that charges be framed against her and other accused persons in the Enforcement Directorate's (ED) money laundering case under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).
“I have come up against the framing of charge in the ED case. This is a curious case as I am a prosecution witness in the scheduled offence while I am named as an accused in the PMLA case,” Hindustan Times quoted advocate Rameeza Hakim, appearing for the actor as saying.
The actor has chosen to move the Supreme Court directly instead of first seeking relief from the Delhi High Court.
Responding to the request, the bench said, “We will post the matter the day after tomorrow.”
Actor’s Legal Team Cites Earlier Move To Become Approver
During the hearing, Hakim informed the court that Fernandez had previously sought to become an approver in the ED case. However, the application was later withdrawn on April 16 after the investigating agency opposed the move.
The actor's challenge comes days after a Delhi court concluded that sufficient material existed to proceed against her under the anti-money laundering law.
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Delhi Court Found Prima Facie Case
On May 30, Additional Sessions Judge Prashant Sharma held that the material placed on record by the ED disclosed a prima facie case against Fernandez and other accused individuals. The court directed that charges be framed under Section 3 of the PMLA, which is punishable under Section 4 of the Act.
On June 3, charges were formally framed against Chandrashekhar, Fernandez and others, allowing the trial to commence.
How The Case Began
The money laundering probe stems from an alleged extortion operation involving Chandrashekhar and complainant Aditi Singh.
According to the prosecution, Chandrashekhar and his associates used spoofed phone calls, encrypted communication platforms and fabricated identities to deceive Singh and her family into parting with large sums of money.
The ED alleges that proceeds of crime exceeding Rs 200 crore were generated through extortion, cheating, impersonation and criminal intimidation. Investigators claim the funds were later concealed and routed through multiple channels to project them as legitimate assets.