Delhi’s Patiala House court granted bail to actor Jacqueline Fernandez in Rs 200 crore money laundering case on Tuesday. She was released on a personal bond of Rs 2 lakh and one surety in the like amount.
The 37-year-old actress is being investigated by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in connection with the Rs 200 crore extortion case involving alleged conman Sukesh Chandrashekar.
The actress, who received several expensive gifts from Sukesh, has been accused by the ED of a financial misdemeanour. The investigating agency has named her in the charge sheet as a beneficiary of the extorted money and wants her in custody. Fernandez's lawyer Prashant Patil denied the charges and filed a bail plea in the matter.
According to Patil, there is no legal case against Fernandez. However, the ED opposed the bail plea, alleging that Fernandez could flee the country to escape the investigation.
Here's a timeline of the Jacqueline Fernandez case:
Dec 2020:
Sukesh Chandrashekhar, who has been in prison since 2018 in connection with other cases, approached Fernandez through Pinky Irani, who is accused in the case for her connections with the alleged conman. As Fernandez did not show any interest in Sukesh, he got in touch with her hairdresser Shaan.
Jan 2021: Jacqueline spoke to Sukesh for the first time.
Feb 1 till Feb 12, 2021: Sukesh sent expensive gifts to her. It included a Tiffany diamond ring as Valentine's gift with their initials inscribed on it. According to the ED, this was the beginning of their relationship.
Feb 12-13 2021: Fernandez’s hairdresser Shaan shared news articles and a YouTube video about the alleged criminal activities of Sukesh with the actress. Upset with Sukesh, Fernandez stopped interacting with him, NDTV reported.
Feb 14-18, 2021: Pinky Irani explained to Fernandez that Sukesh was being framed by the media as he was a 'political bureaucrat'. Fernandez re-established contact with Sukesh through WhatsApp audio and video calls.
Feb 2021 to Aug 2021: Sukesh sent expensive gifts to Fernandez and her family members in India and abroad.
June 2021: Fernandez met Sukesh for the first time in Chennai when he was out on parole to attend his uncle's funeral.
July 2021: The actress met Sukesh for the second time in Chennai.
Aug 2/3, 2021: Sukesh gave Rs 15 lakh to award-winning scriptwriter Advaita Kala for a web series on Fernandez’s request.
August 7, 2021: Sukesh and his gang members are re-arrested.
August 11, 2021: After hearing about Sukesh's arrest, Fernandez deleted her mobile data and also asked others to delete data from their mobile phones.
Mid-Aug 2021: ED conducted searches in Chennai and seized luxurious cars and the beach bungalow of Sukesh and his wife Leena Maria Paul.
Aug 18, 2021: Advaita Kala gave her statement and provided evidence on funds received from Jacqueline Fernandez.
Aug 30, 2021: ED summoned Fernandez for the first time in connection with the money laundering case. The actress denied any monetary transaction with Advaita Kala.
Oct 2021: ED took Sukesh, Leena and others into custody. Sukesh revealed his relationship with Fernandez.
Oct 20, 2021: The second statement of Fernandez is recorded. Hairdresser Shaan revealed the relationship between Pinky Irani, Sukesh and Fernandez.
Nov 2021: ED traced accused Pinky Irani in Mumbai and recorded her statement.
Dec 8, 2021: Fernandez's third statement is recorded.
May 20, 2022: ED recorded the fourth statement of Fernandez. Earlier banned from travelling abroad, a Delhi court allows Fernandez to travel to Abu Dhabi for the International Indian Film Academy (IIFA) awards.
June 27, 2022: The actress recorded her fifth statement to the ED. She revealed a conversation with Sukesh regarding a property purchased by the alleged conman for her in Sri Lanka.
August 2022: ED filed a supplementary charge sheet and named Fernandez an accused in the money laundering case, News 18 reported. Additional Sessions Judge Praveen Singh took cognizance of the charges filed by the ED and asked Fernandez to appear before the court on September 26, 2022.
September 2022: Delhi Police summoned Fernandez three times during the month. She was asked to join the investigation on September 14. On September 26, the court granted interim bail to the actress on a personal bond of Rs 50,000.
November 11: A Delhi court deferred the order on her bail plea for November 15. Special Judge Shailendra Malik, who had granted interim bail to Fernandez earlier, said the order was not ready. However, the court questioned the ED why it did not arrest the actress despite issuing a LOC and holding others in jail. “Why adopt a pick-and-choose policy,” the court had asked the probe agency.
November 15: Jacqueline Fernandez granted bail by Patiala House court in Delhi
(Edited by : Sudarsanan Mani)
First Published: Nov 15, 2022 11:55 AM IST
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