The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has attached assets worth over Rs 7 cr of Bollywood actress Jacqueline Fernandez in the money laundering probe against her.
Jacqueline had received expensive gifts from conman Sukesh Chandrashekhar and his wife and actor Leena Maria Paul, the ED had told a Delhi court in its charge-sheet in the Rs 200 crore money laundering case in December last year. The federal agency has issued a provisional order under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) for attaching fixed deposits worth Rs 7.12 crore and Rs 15 lakh cash of the actress as it called these funds as "proceeds of crime".
"Sukesh Chandrashekhar had given various gifts worth Rs 5.71 crore to Jacqueline Fernandez from the proceeds of crime generated by criminal activities including extortion," the ED said in a statement on Saturday.
The charge-sheet had claimed that the statements of Jacqueline were recorded on August 30 and October 20, in which she stated that she received gifts like three designer bags from Gucci and Chanel, two Gucci gym wear outfits, a pair of Louis Vuitton shoes, two pairs of diamond earrings and a bracelet of multi- coloured stones and two Hermes bracelets. She also received a car, Mini Cooper, which she returned, the ED claimed. She further said that Chandrashekar had arranged private jet trips and her hotel stay on different occasions.
Delhi Police's Economic Offences Wing (EOW) had earlier registered an FIR against Chandrasekhar for allegedly duping the spouses of former promoters of Ranbaxy, Shivinder Singh, and Malvinder Singh, of Rs 200 crore.
The agency found in its probe that Chandrashekhar was in "regular contact" with Jacqueline since February till he got arrested on August 7 last year (by the Delhi Police). He was later arrested by the ED too.
-with PTI inputs
