The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has provisionally attached assets amounting to Rs 7.27 crore belonging to Jacqueline Fernandez in connection with its money laundering probe into the activities of Sukesh Chandrasekhar.
The attached assets include fixed deposits worth Rs 7.12 crore.
An ED statement said: “During the investigation, it was revealed that Sukesh Chandrasekhar had given various gifts worth Rs 5.71 crore to Jacqueline Fernandez from the proceeds of crime generated by criminal activities including extortion.
“Sukesh Chandrasekhar had put Pinky Irani, his long-time associate and co-accused in this case, to deliver the said gifts to her.
“In addition to these gifts, Sukesh Chandrasekhar had also given funds to the tune of USD 172,913 and AUD 26,740 to the close family members of Jacqueline Fernandez out of the proceeds of crime through co-accused Avtar Singh Kochhar, an established and well-known international hawala operator
It added: “Sukesh Chandrasekhar had also delivered cash to the tune of Rs 15 lacs to a scriptwriter on behalf of Ms Jacqueline Fernandez as advance for writing a script of her web-series project.
Adopting this modus operandi, the ED statement said Chandrasekhar “contacted Aditi Singh w/o Shivinder Mohan Singh by impersonating himself as Union Home Secretary, Union Law Secretary, an officer from Prime Minister’s Office and junior officials and extorted more than Rs 200 crore from her over 1 year on the pretext of contribution to party funds.”
ED investigations revealed that Chandrasekhar was running his illegal extortion business from Central Jail, Delhi in connivance with jail officials.
The ED statement said: “During the investigation, searches were conducted under PMLA at various premises all over India and properties seized viz. bungalow in Chennai, 26 cars, Indian currency, valuables etc valued at Rs 45 Crore appx.”
The ED earlier arrested Chandrasekhar and eight others including his wife Leena Maria Paul and even filed prosecution complaints.
Jacqueline Fernandez recently requested the media for privacy in an Instagram statement after an intimate photo with Sukesh Chandrasekhar went viral.
Jacqueline’s statement read: “This country and its people have always given me tremendous love and respect.
