Bollywood actor Jacqueline Fernandez was questioned as a witness in money laundering case, Enforcement Directorate sources said today. This was in connection with an alleged multi-crore extortion racket operated by one Sukesh Chandrashekar, a “known conman” who is also an accused in bribery matter involving the Election Commission.
“She is not an accused, but is being examined as a witness in the case against conman Sukesh Chandrasekhar,” sources in the Enforcement Directorate told NDTV.
The agency questioned the Sri Lankan movie star for around five hours.
Chandrashekar had allegedly swindled the 36-year-old, too, agency sources have said. It is believed that the actor fell on his radar through his wife Leena Paul.
Another top film star has been his target, sources said. While authorities already know about this, in order to protect that person, they have avoided revealing the identity.
On August 24, the probe agency had said that it had seized a sea-facing bungalow in Chennai, Rs 82.5 lakh cash, and over a dozen luxurious cars in connection with the money laundering case against Chandrashekar.
The case is based on an FIR of the Delhi police’s economic offences wing against him and others over alleged criminal conspiracy, cheating, and extortion to the tune of about Rs 200 crore.
Sukesh Chandrasekhar is the mastermind of this fraud. He has been a part of the crime world since the age of 17. He has multiple FIRs against him and is presently lodged at the Rohini jail,” the Enforcement Directorate had said in the statement for following last week’s raid.
It has also been alleged that he took money from TTV Dhinakaran, leader of the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhakam’s (AIADMK) ‘Amma’ faction, to bribe poll panel officials in connection with the dispute over the party’s ‘two leaves’ election symbol.
He allegedly struck a Rs 50 crore deal to help the AIADMK (Amma) faction keep the ‘two leaves’ symbol. An amount of Rs 1.3 crore was allegedly seized from his possession at the time of his arrest. (NDTV)