New Delhi : Bollywood actor Jacqueline Fernandez on Monday stated that she has deep roots in India and has been a tax-paying resident since 2009, while adding that India is her place of work, and her professional reputation and future work commitments are all intrinsically linked to the country.
She also stated that she doesn't have any unity of design with the conman Sukesh Chandrashekhar. "In fact, the applicant/Jacqueline is another victim of the criminal acts committed by the main accused and his associates, who consistently lied about his real identity and exercised undue influence over the applicant's personal and professional life either by showering her (and her family) with expensive gifts or claiming that he had done so I would do so, without ever mentioning their source," she said in her bail plea.
In her regular bail plea, Jacqueline also said, she has never denied receipt of gifts, or that the main accused made claims to that effect. However, at no point of time did the applicant demand any gifts nor had knowledge that these were proceeds of crime, on account of the deceitful and duplicitous conduct of the main accused due to which she has suffered, and continues to suffer, tremendous hardship. Thus, she was misled into accepting the same.
The plea also states that she is also participating in attachment proceedings taking place in connection with the present case. There is no risk of her leaving Indian jurisdiction without proper authorisation as there is a Look Out Circular opened against her and subsisting.
The actor on Monday appeared before a Delhi Court hearing the Rs 200 crore money laundering Enforcement Directorate (ED) case involving conman Sukesh Chandrashekar and others. Additional Sessions Judge Shailender Malik on Monday while issuing notice to the Enforcement Directorate on Jacqueline's regular bail petition, granted interim bail to her on a Rs 50,000 bail bond till the next date of hearing. The next date of hearing is October 22, 2022.
Earlier, the court issued a summon to the actor to appear before it physically on September 26, 2022. On August 17, 2022, a supplementary chargesheet filed by the ED in the Rs 200 crore extortion case against conman Sukesh Chandrashekar in a Delhi Court mentioned the name of Jacqueline Fernandez as an accused.
The predecessor judge, Justice Praveen Singh on the last date, after taking cognizance of the supplementary chargesheet, directed the newly made accused Jacqueline Fernandez to appear before it on September 26, 2022.
Jacqueline Fernandez has also been summoned by ED several times in the matter for the purpose of investigation.
Advocate Prashant Patil appeared for Jacquline and stated that she has always cooperated with the investigation agencies and attended all the summons to date. "She has handed over all the information to the best of her ability to the ED.
The ED's earlier chargesheet did not mention her name as an accused, but mentioned the details of the statement recorded by Bollywood actors Jacqueline Fernandez and Nora Fatehi in the matter.
According to ED's earlier chargesheet, Bollywood actresses Jacqueline Fernandez and Nora Fatehi got top models of BMW cars, and expensive gifts from the accused Sukesh. The ED chargesheet clearly stated that "during the investigation, statements of Jacqueline Fernandez were recorded on 30.08.2021 and 20.10.2021 Jacqueline Fernandez stated she received gifts viz three designer bags from Gucci, Chanel, and two Gucci outfits for gym wear.
A pair of Louis Vuitton shoes, two pairs of diamond earrings and a bracelet of multi-coloured stones, two Hermes bracelets. She also received a Mini Cooper which she returned."
"According to ED, Sukesh was confronted with Jacqueline on October 20, 2021. Jacqueline Fernandez stated that Sukash Chandrasekhar had arranged private jet trips and her hotel stay on different occasions for herself," it added.
Statements of Nora Fatehi were recorded under section 50 of PMLA, 2002 on September 12, 2021, and October 14, 2021, wherein she stated that she got a booking for a charity event and during the event, she was gifted a Gucci Bag and one iPhone by Leena Paulose (wife of Chandrashekhar).
Nora further stated that Leena Paulose had called her husband and put the phone on the speaker where he thanked her and said that they were her fans. She then announced that they would gift her a brand new BMW car as a token of love and generosity.