The counsel of Bollywood actress, Jacqueline Fernandez, has claimed in the Delhi High Court that she was unaware of the illegal origins of the expensive gifts she received, allegedly linked to the ₹200 crore money laundering case involving conman Sukesh Chandrasekhar. Fernandez has challenged the charge sheet filed against her by the Enforcement Directorate (ED).
During the hearing on Wednesday, her legal team argued that she was not involved in any criminal activity and did not know that the gifts were part of the proceeds of the crime. Senior advocate Siddharth Agrawal, representing Fernandez, stated, “It is also not the case of ED that she was aware that gifts she received were part of proceeds of crime.”
Justice Anish Dayal raised a question during the hearing, asking, “Whether there is a duty upon an adult person to know the source of gift one receives.”
The defense further argued that Fernandez had ceased communication with Chandrasekhar after reading a newspaper article in 2019 that raised concerns about his activities, but insisted that “the newspaper article is not evidence.” Counsel also contended that Jacqueline was misled by co-accused Pinky Irani, who convinced her that Chandrasekhar had political connections.
The court has scheduled the next hearing for November 26.
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