Money Laundering Case: Jacqueline Fernandez gets bail in money laundering case

A Delhi court on Tuesday granted bail to actress Jacqueline Fernandez in the Rs 200 crore money laundering case involving swindler Sukesh Chandrasekhar. Special Judge Shailendra Malik granted the relief to actress Jacqueline Fernandez on a personal bond of Rs 50,000 and one surety of like amount. The judge had taken cognizance of a supplementary chargesheet filed by the Enforcement Directorate on August 31 and asked Fernandez to appear before the court. The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has issued summons to Fernandez several times in connection with the investigation. Fernandez was named as an accused in the supplementary chargesheet for the first time.

Earlier, Special Judge Shailendra Malik, who granted interim bail to Jacqueline Fernandes, had said that the order has not been prepared. The court, after hearing the arguments of the lawyers appearing for the actress as well as the Enforcement Directorate (ED), had reserved the order and adjourned the hearing till Tuesday. The ED argued during the cross-examination that Jacqueline could easily run away from the country as she was not short of money. On this, the court questioned why the actress had not been arrested yet.

The agency told the court that they have issued a lookout circular (LOC) against the actress at the airports so that she cannot leave the country. The court had asked the investigating agency, "Why have you (ED) not arrested Jacqueline yet during the investigation despite issuing LOC? Other accused are in jail. Why is the policy of selective action being adopted."

On September 26, the court granted interim bail to Fernandes on a personal bond of Rs 50,000. The court had on August 31 taken cognizance of a supplementary chargesheet filed by the ED and asked Fernandes to appear before the court. Fernandes, who has been summoned by the ED several times in connection with the investigation, has been made an accused for the first time in the supplementary charge sheet. Fernandes was not mentioned as an accused in the ED's earlier charge sheet and supplementary charge sheet. However, the documents mentioned details of statements recorded by Fernandes and actress Nora Fatehi.