Jacqueline Fernandez questioned by ED in money laundering case
Actor Jacqueline Fernandez appeared before the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Monday in relation to a money laundering case linked to conman Sukesh Chandrasekhar. Though she was questioned by the agency in the past, Monday's interrogation was part of a fresh round, where her statements were recorded. In April, the ED attached Fernandez's assets worth Rs. 7.27cr under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).
Why does this story matter?
The whole issue started when Chandrasekhar was found to have impersonated himself as an official from the government and extorted more than Rs. 200cr from Aditi Singh, the wife of Religare Enterprises' former promoter Shivinder Mohan Singh. From the funds that he had received from Singh, Chandrasekhar allegedly gifted items to Fernandez worth more than Rs. 5cr.
Fernandez's family also received cash from a different operation
Chandrasekhar's long-term associate Pinky Irani has also been accused in the case as she was the one who delivered the said gift items to Fernandez. Separately, Chandrasekhar had also given over Rs. 13cr to a close family member of Fernandez. This money originated from certain criminal activity through co-accused Avtar Singh Kochhar. Kochhar is an established and well-known international "hawala" operator.
ED questioned Nora Fatehi, too
Apart from the aforementioned cases, Chandrasekhar had also allegedly delivered a cash amount of Rs. 15 lakh to a scriptwriter on behalf of Fernandez. The said amount was paid as an advance to the writer to pen a script for a web series project. The ED attached this transaction, too. Actor Nora Fatehi was also questioned by the ED in connection with the case.
Fernandez will be next seen in 'Vikrant Rona'
On the acting front, Fernandez is currently awaiting the release of her pan-India project Vikrant Rona. Co-starring Kichcha Sudeep, the film is set to hit the marquee on July 28. She also has a couple of other films titled Cirkus and Ram Setu that are in various stages of production. She was last seen playing a key role in the Bollywood film Attack.
