So the Jacqueline Fernandez case is taking another turn now . She has officially said she is innocent in that huge ₹200 crore money laundering case connected to Sukesh Chandrashekhar. And she is ready to fight it out in court .
On June 3,she appeared before Patiala House Court and pleaded not guilty . This means she is challenging the charges filed against her under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).
And honestly,this is a big step. She is not just denying things in media,but officially in court.
But it's not just about her ah. This case is massive . Charges have been leveled against Chandrashekhar,his wife Leena Maria Paul,and 14 other people too . And everyone has denied charges and is asking for trial.
And here is where it gets interesting . Jacqueline actually withdrew her application to become an approver in case. This happened after the Enforcement Directorate (ED) apparently resisted her request .
The ED's side of story is that she did not cooperate fully during the investigation . They have accused her of not giving complete and truthful details about money and gifts involved. They even claim she was in touch with Chandrashekhar even after she knew about his criminal background.
Few things standing out clearly in this case:
- Jacqueline withdrew her earlier request to become an approver after ED pushback.
- ED claims she was not fully cooperative during the investigation process .
- Whole issue is linked to luxury gifts worth ₹7 crore she allegedly received.
The main allegation is that these gifts were bought using money Chandrashekhar got by cheating wives of former Ranbaxy promoters,Shivinder Singh and Malvinder Singh,of nearly ₹200 crore . That is not small amount .
But Jacqueline has maintained her innocence from day one . She says she had no idea about any of his criminal activities or that gifts were from illegal money. She is sticking to her story only.
The next court date is set for July 16 . This is going to be a long legal battle for sure... and with so many claims and counter-claims,it's really hard to know what actual truth is…
