Jacqueline Fernandez, on Tuesday, May 12, withdrew her plea seeking to become an approver in the Rs 200 crore money laundering case linked to alleged conman Sukesh Chandrashekar, according to court sources. Her lawyer confirmed before Special Judge Prashant Sharma that the plea had been withdrawn, as per PTI.
A day earlier, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) had opposed Jacqueline’s application. The agency argued that the actor continued to stay in touch with Sukesh Chandrashekar even after becoming aware of his criminal background.
In its response to the court, the ED stated, “The applicant (Jacqueline) remained in regular and sustained contact with Sukesh Chandrashekar (accused 1) even after having knowledge of his criminal antecedents, who carefully arranged all benefits, gifts and articles for the applicant out of the ‘proceeds of crime’ involved in the offence of money laundering.”
The agency further said that the repeated communication between the two, along with the gifts and benefits received by the actor, weakens her claim of being an “unwitting victim.” According to the ED, the evidence instead points towards a conscious association with the main accused.
The federal agency also alleged that Jacqueline used and enjoyed the proceeds of crime not just for herself, but also for her family members. It claimed this reflected a conscious disregard for the source of the funds while actively participating in the laundering process.
“Her claim of being a victim is therefore self-serving and contrary to the evidence on record,” the ED added in its submission.
Jacqueline Fernandez had earlier been summoned multiple times by the ED during the course of the investigation. She was later named as an accused in a supplementary chargesheet filed by the agency.
On July 3, 2025, the Delhi High Court dismissed her plea seeking to quash the Enforcement Case Information Report (ECIR) registered against her in the money laundering case.
Two months later, the Supreme Court of India also refused to interfere with the Delhi High Court’s order.
The case against Sukesh Chandrashekar stems from allegations by the Delhi Police that he duped the wives of former Ranbaxy promoters Shivinder Singh and Malvinder Singh of Rs 200 crore.
Apart from this case, several other investigations against Sukesh Chandrashekar are currently ongoing across the country.
Also read: SC refuses to interfere in Rs 215-crore ED case, junking Jacqueline Fernandez’s plea
