India’s Supreme Court on Monday turned down Bollywood star Jacqueline Fernandez’s request to drop the money laundering charges against her. The case ties back to a massive Rs 200 crore extortion scam linked to conman Sukesh Chandrashekhar.
A bench led by Justice Dipankar Datta and Justice Augustine George Masih skipped issuing a stay on the trial. Instead, they let Fernandez come back to court later if needed. This keeps the Enforcement Directorate’s (ED) proceedings moving forward for now.
Fernandez’s lawyer, senior advocate Mukul Rohatgi, pushed hard in court. He said she couldn’t face charges under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) because she had no idea the gifts from Chandrashekhar were dirty money from crimes. Rohatgi also pointed out that she’s actually listed as a witness in the main extortion case, not a suspect.
The judges weren’t buying it at this stage. They pointed to a past Supreme Court ruling in the Vijay Madanlal Choudhary case, which backs the ED’s broad powers. “At the charge-framing stage, we take the allegations as they are,” the bench said. They noted the claim that part of the Rs 200 crore extortion money ended up as gifts to Fernandez.
Rohatgi fired back, arguing that just receiving gifts doesn’t count as money laundering. He stressed that Chandrashekhar and his aide Pinky Irani had tricked Fernandez too.
Still, the court dismissed her special leave petition. They made clear that comments from the Delhi High Court—which earlier shot down a similar challenge—won’t hurt her chances in the trial.
Back in July, Delhi High Court Judge Anish Dayal had ruled the same way. He said the full story needs a proper trial to sort out. The ED has already frozen assets worth Rs 7.2 crore connected to Fernandez, calling them proceeds of crime. They say Irani helped deliver luxury gifts to the actress on Chandrashekhar’s orders.
The ED has submitted several charge sheets in this high-profile case. Their latest one lists Fernandez as an accused, while another Bollywood dancer, Nora Fatehi, got questioned as a witness. Fernandez insists she played no part in washing Chandrashekhar’s alleged illegal cash.
The 39-year-old Sri Lankan-born actress shot to fame after winning Miss Universe Sri Lanka in 2006. She’s become a big name in Bollywood over the past decade, starring in hit films, music videos, and even reality TV shows. Fans are watching closely as this drama unfolds.
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