A Delhi court on Saturday directed that charges be framed against actor Jacqueline Fernandez, alleged conman Sukesh Chandrashekar and 15 other accused in a money laundering case involving alleged proceeds of crime worth more than Rs. 200 crore.
Additional Sessions Judge Prashant Sharma observed that the material placed before the court raised a strong suspicion against the accused and was sufficient at this stage to proceed with charges under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).
The court has summoned all accused on June 3 for formal framing of charges, after which the trial is expected to begin.
The case stems from allegations that Chandrashekar operated a sophisticated criminal network while lodged in prison, allegedly impersonating senior government officials and using forged identities to extort money from high-profile targets.
Investigators claim the proceeds generated through these activities were subsequently laundered through multiple channels and used to acquire luxury assets.
According to the Enforcement Directorate (ED), Chandrashekar allegedly amassed over ₹200 crore through cheating, extortion, criminal intimidation and impersonation.
The agency contends that the funds were later concealed and routed through bank accounts, hawala networks, shell companies and cash transactions before being projected as legitimate assets.
The investigation further alleges that the money was used to purchase properties, luxury vehicles and expensive gifts.
Officials said evidence gathered during searches included financial records, digital communications, mobile phone data, forensic reports and details of cash movements.
Fernandez was named as an accused in a supplementary chargesheet filed by the ED during the course of the investigation.
The agency has alleged that she remained in contact with Chandrashekar and received expensive gifts that were allegedly funded through proceeds of crime.
Investigators claim several of these gifts were delivered through intermediary Pinky Irani, who is also among the accused in the case.
Earlier this month, the actor withdrew an application seeking to become an approver in the case.
The ED opposed the plea, arguing that evidence collected during the investigation indicated sustained communication between Fernandez and Chandrashekar even after she was allegedly aware of his criminal background.
The agency has maintained that the continued interactions and acceptance of benefits weakened her claim of being an unwitting victim and instead suggested conscious association with the principal accused.
Besides Chandrashekar and Fernandez, the list of accused includes Leena Maria Paul, also known as Leena Paulose, Pinky Irani, Deepak Ramnani, Pradeep Ramdanee, B. Mohanraj, Arun Muthu, D. Kamlesh Kothari, Pooja Singh, Dharam Singh Meena, Mahender Prasad Sundriyal, Sunder Bora, Komal Poddar, Jitender Narula, Avinash Kumar and Jai Prakash Singhal.
The prosecution alleges that spoofed phone calls, encrypted communication platforms and fabricated identities were used to convince complainant Aditi Singh and her family members to part with large sums of money.
Chandrashekar was initially arrested by the Delhi Police in 2017 and was later taken into custody by the ED in 2021 in connection with the money laundering investigation.
Authorities allege he posed as officials from institutions including the Prime Minister's Office, the Ministry of Home Affairs and the Ministry of Law and Justice to carry out his operations.
With the court now directing the framing of charges, the long-running case is set to move into the trial stage in the coming days.