In a massive legal development, a Delhi court on Saturday ordered the formal framing of charges against Bollywood actor Jacqueline Fernandez, alleged conman Sukesh Chandrashekar, and 15 others in connection with the notorious Rs 200 crore money laundering case. Additional Sessions Judge Prashant Sharma presided over the hearing, stating that the prosecution has presented sufficient prima facie evidence to raise strong suspicion against all the named accused.
The court has directed all individuals involved to appear in person on June 3, 2026, for the formal reading and filing of the charges, directly after which the comprehensive criminal trial will officially commence. The accused will be charged under Section 3 of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), which is punishable under Section 4 of the same Act.
The ED’s Strong Stance:
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) strongly opposed Jacqueline’s earlier efforts to distance herself from the crime, arguing she was no “unwitting victim.” The agency noted that she remained in regular contact with Sukesh even after learning of his extensive criminal background, willingly accepting proceeds of crime disguised as luxury benefits.
The Case Against Jacqueline Fernandez
Jacqueline Fernandez, who has undergone multiple rounds of intense interrogation by the ED, found herself legally cornered after being named as an active accused in a supplementary chargesheet. According to the ED’s second supplementary complaint, the actor maintained a consistent line of communication with Sukesh Chandrashekar through a co-accused, Pinky Irani, who systematically facilitated the delivery of ultra-expensive gifts.
Earlier this month, the court permitted Jacqueline to withdraw her legal petition seeking to turn an approver in the case. The ED vehemently opposed her stance, presenting evidence that she and her family actively consumed and utilized the proceeds of crime. The federal agency labeled her victimhood claims as “self-serving,” stating she deliberately ignored the illicit origins of the funds and luxury items lavished upon her.
Modus Operandi: Extortion from Behind Bars
The prosecution’s case exposes a deeply entrenched, sophisticated criminal network engineered by Sukesh Chandrashekar, who has been in custody since his initial arrest by Delhi Police in 2017 and subsequent ED arrest in 2021.
- Jailhouse Syndicate: Sukesh reportedly ran a highly organized extortion racket right from inside his prison cell.
- High-Profile Impersonation: Using spoofed fake calls, encrypted communication apps, and false identities, he successfully impersonated senior government officials from the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO), Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), and the Law Ministry.
- The Target: Through a combination of deception and threats, Sukesh managed to dupe Aditi Singh (wife of former Fortis healthcare promoter Shivinder Singh) and her family out of an astronomical Rs 200 crore.
The Co-Accused and the Money Trail
The complex multi-layered financial web was created to hide, transfer, and integrate the extorted wealth into the mainstream economy as untainted money. The ED’s forensic investigation uncovered that the funds were aggressively funneled through shell companies, hawala channels, layered bank accounts, and vast cash deliveries to purchase premium real estate, fleets of luxury cars, and high-end international gifts.
Apart from Sukesh and Jacqueline, the 15 other individuals set to face trial include Sukesh’s wife Leena Maria Paul, Pinky Irani, Deepak Ramnani, Pradeep Ramdanee, B Mohanraj, Arun Muthu, D Kamlesh Kothari, Pooja Singh, Dharam Singh Meena, Mahender Prasad Sundriyal, Sunder Bora, Komal Poddar, Jitender Narula, Avinash Kumar, and Jai Prakash Singhal.
The prosecution’s upcoming trial will rely heavily on a massive repository of digital evidence secured during nationwide raids. This includes seized mobile devices, forensic data extractions from WhatsApp and Telegram, spoofed call logs, and meticulously mapped bank transaction records. Sukesh’s initial legal troubles trace back to 2017, when he was intercepted for allegedly trying to bribe Election Commission officials on behalf of AIADMK leader T T V Dhinakaran in the party’s ‘two leaves’ symbol dispute.