On Thursday (December 9), the Enforcement Directorate (ED) apprehended an aide of conman Sukesh Chandrashekhar in connection to a money laundering case.
As per reports, the aide has been identified as one Pinky Irani. The accused did not co-operate with the ED officials, following which the central agency took Irani into custody. She was arrested under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA). India Today reported that Irani had introduced Jacqueline Fernandez to the conman and that she was aware of the nature of their relationship.
As per the report, Irani was paid crores by Sukesh Chandrashekhar for introducing him to the actress. Investigators had gathered incriminating evidence, including Whatsapp chats of Irani in connection to the case. She was grilled extensively this week and the previous week.
ED interrogates actor Jacqueline Fernandez
On Wednesday (December 8), the central agency grilled Jacqueline Fernandez for about 8 hours during multiple sessions of interrogation. The actor’s statement was recorded under PMLA. As per ED, Fernandez had benefitted from the crime proceeds of Chandrashekhar, which he acquired by conning high profile individuals. The actor’s spokesperson, however, claimed that she was testifying as a witness before the Enforcement Directorate.
“Jacqueline Fernandez is being called to testify as a witness by the ED. She has duly recorded her statements and in future will also be completely cooperating with the agency in the investigations. “Jacqueline also categorically denies alleged slanderous statements made about relationship with the involved couple,” the spokesperson had earlier said. The Enforcement Directorate had informed that Chandrashekhar was probed by the Delhi police for involvement in cheating, conspiracy and extortion of up to ₹200 crores.
“Chandrasekhar is the mastermind of this fraud. He has been part of the crime world since the age of 17. He has multiple FIRs against him. He (using a cellphone procured illegally in prison) with the help of technology made spoofed calls to dupe people as the numbers displayed on the called party’s phone number belonged to senior government officers. While speaking (from prison) to these persons, he claimed to be a government officer offering to help people for a price,” the ED had earlier emphasised.
Actor Jacqueline Fernandez stopped at Mumbai Airport from leaving India
On December 5, Bollywood actor Jacqueline Fernandez was stopped at Mumbai Airport from going abroad. According to reports, she was leaving for Dubai for a program but was stopped at the airport by authorities as the Enforcement Directorate had issued a lookout notice against her. India Today claimed that she was not detained, and was asked to return home.
Jacqueline Fernandez was scheduled to participate in Salman Khan’s Da-bangg tour to be held on December 10 in Riyadh. Jacqueline was named in a ₹200 crore money laundering and extortion case, where she was accused of receiving several expensive gifts from the main accused Sukesh Chandrasekhar. Some pictures of Jacqueline Fernandez with conman Sukesh Chandrasekhar went viral on social media, which suggested that they were in a relationship.
The gifts given to the actor by Sukesh included diamond-studded jewellery sets, crockeries, four Persian cats worth 36 lakhs and a horse worth ₹52 lakh. According to ED, they had found evidence of financial transaction between the two, and he had given gifts worth Rs 10 crore to her. Sukesh used to chat with Jacqueline over mobile from jail. When Sukesh had received bail in April-June this year, he booked a chartered flight for himself and also arranged for chartered flights for actress Jacqueline Fernandes to meet her in Chennai.
