Jacqueline Fernandez has filed an application in the Supreme Court challenging the Delhi trial court’s order filing charges against her in the Rs 200-crore money laundering case linked to alleged fraudster Sukesh Chandrashekar.On Tuesday, the Supreme Court agreed to hear her petition, and the matter is scheduled to come up on June 11.
The Supreme Court agrees to hear Jacqueline’s petition
As reported by ANI, a bench comprising Justices PK Mishra and AS Chandorkar agreed to list the matter after Jacqueline’s lawyer sought an urgent hearing.The actress has challenged the May 30 order of a Patiala House court, which ruled that there was enough material on record to frame charges against her under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) in the case being investigated by the Enforcement Directorate (ED).
The trial court found a prima facie case against the actress
On May 30, Additional Sessions Judge Prashant Sharma observed that a prima facie case has been made out against Jacqueline based on the materials submitted by the ED before the court.The court observed that there was enough evidence to suggest that Jacqueline received lavish gifts from Chandrashekhar despite her alleged knowledge of his criminal background.“It has concluded that there is sufficient material on record prima facie, which raises strong doubts that the accused Jacqueline Fernandez committed the offense under Section 3 of the Anti-Money Laundering Act, which is punishable under Section 4 of the Anti-Money Laundering Act,” the court said while framing the charges.
The court further observed that there was prima facie material indicating that she was “in collusion with Sukesh Chandrashekar to conceal the use of proceeds of crime”.
Jacqueline denies the charges against her and demands a trial
On June 3, the court formally framed charges against Chandrashekar, Jacqueline and other accused in the money laundering case and a separate case registered under the Maharashtra Control of Organized Crime Act (MCOCA), linked to the alleged extortion of Rs 200 crore from Aditi Singh.Jacqueline appeared before the court and denied the charges against her, and demanded that she be tried in this regard. She is only accused in a money laundering case.While Chandrashekar signed the charges in the money laundering case, he reportedly refused to sign the charges in the MCOCA case. His wife, Lina Maria Paul, signed the charges in protest against the MCOCA measures.According to court records, there are 21 defendants in the money laundering case and 17 defendants in the MCOCA case. A hearing on the money laundering case is scheduled for July 16, while the MCOCA case is listed for July 14.Earlier this year, Jacqueline applied for consent in her ED case. However, after the agency opposed the application, it withdrew the application on April 16.
