The Supreme Court of India has declined to quash the Rs 215 crore money laundering case involving Bollywood actress Jacqueline Fernandez, linked to alleged conman Sukesh Chandrashekhar. A bench comprising Justices Dipankar Datta and Augustine George Masih directed Fernandez to present her defense at the trial court, emphasizing the importance of the judicial process.
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has alleged that Fernandez accepted luxury gifts worth nearly Rs 7 crore from Chandrashekhar, despite being aware of his criminal antecedents. The agency claims she initially denied any association, admitted to the relationship only when confronted with evidence, and allegedly deleted phone data following his arrest.
Senior Advocate Mukul Rohatgi, appearing on behalf of Fernandez, argued that the actress had no involvement in the purported predicate offense of extortion. He highlighted that Chandrashekhar’s gestures were motivated purely by personal infatuation, and that Fernandez had no hand in the alleged criminal conduct.
While a review petition on the contours of money laundering offenses remains pending, the Supreme Court noted that the existing precedent in the Vijay Madanlal Choudhary case continues to hold sway. The bench concluded that Fernandez’s plea could not be entertained at this stage, reinforcing the principle that defenses must be adjudicated at the trial court level.
This ruling not only underscores the judiciary’s adherence to established legal principles but also serves as a reminder of the meticulous scrutiny applied in high-profile financial crime cases. For Fernandez, the road ahead lies in substantiating her defense before the trial court, as the legal process moves forward.
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