Actor Jacqueline Fernandez, who has been summoned twice and questioned by the Enforcement Directorate in relation to the Rs 200 crore money laundering case involving Sukesh Chandrasekhar and his wife Leena Maria Paul, has denied “alleged slanderous statements” made about her relationship with the couple.
“Jacqueline Fernandez is being called to testify as a witness by the ED. She has duly recorded her statements and in future will also be completely co operating with the agency in the investigations. Jacqueline also categorically denies alleged slanderous statements made about her relationship with the involved couple,” the actor’s spokesperson said in a statement.
Chandrasekhar and Paul allegedly duped a businessman’s wife of Rs 200 crore and are currently in judicial custody.
As per a report by The Quint, Chandrashekhar’s lawyer had alleged on Saturday that the actor was dating the conman and said, “Jacqueline and Sukesh were dating, these are my instructions, this is straight from the horse’s mouth.”
Fernandez was previously questioned in the case on August 30 as a witness against Chandrashekhar. Chandrasekhar was introduced to Fernandez through Paul who is an actor.
Fernandez was once again summoned on October 21 and was questioned for over seven hours.
Chandrashekhar, recently also told reporters outside a Delhi court that he had gifted a luxury car to actor and dancer Nora Fatehi, who was also summoned by the ED a few days back in relation to the same case. However, on October 15, a day after Fatehi was questioned by the ED in the case, her representatives had said that she is a “victim” in the case and is “strictly” helping the officers in the investigation as a witness.
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The ED has been probing the case based on a First Information Report filed by Delhi Police’s Economic Offences Wing against Chandrashekhar, the alleged mastermind of the money laundering racket, and others over alleged criminal conspiracy, cheating, and extortion of about Rs 200 crore.
Chandrasekhar, who has over 20 cases to his name, was also arrested in 2017 for attempting to bribe the Election Commission. He was accused of taking money from Amma Makkal Munnetra Kazhagam head TTV Dhinakaran to bribe Election Commission officials in order to get the AIADMK’s ‘two leaves’ symbol for the Sasikala faction in a by-election for the RK Nagar Assembly seat in Tamil Nadu. He was jailed in Delhi’s Rohini jail for the offence.
Chandrasekhar was allegedly running the extortion racket from behind the bars too. His associates have informed the Additional Commissioner of Police of the EOW that they were helped by the Rohini jail officials.