Delhi court allows Jacqueline Fernandez to travel abroad for work and award function

Bollywood actress Jacqueline Fernandez has been granted permission by a Delhi court to travel abroad from May 25 to June 12 to attend the International Indian Film Academy (IIFA) awards in Abu Dhabi and shoot for a film in Milan. Jacqueline is one of the accused in the Rs 200 crore money extortion case involving conman Sukesh Chandrasekhar.

Pre-arrest bail and charges against Jacqueline

Jacqueline was granted pre-arrest bail by the court on November 15, 2021, and had been granted interim protection from arrest on September 26. The Enforcement Directorate (ED) had recently filed its second supplementary charge sheet, naming Jacqueline as an accused.

Witness statements and assets seizure

Jacqueline and another Bollywood personality, Nora Fatehi, had already recorded their statements as witnesses in the case. Earlier, the assets and fixed deposits worth Rs 7.2 crore belonging to Jacqueline were attached by the ED, which termed these gifts and properties as the “proceeds” of crime received by the actor.

Supplementary charge sheet and Pinky Irani’s role

In February, the ED had filed its first supplementary charge sheet against Pinky Irani, an alleged aide of Chandrashekhar, who introduced him to Bollywood actors. The charge sheet alleged that Pinky used to choose expensive gifts for Jacqueline and drop them at her residence after Chandrashekhar made the payments. In December 2021, the probe agency had filed the first charge sheet in this matter.

Extent of Chandrasekhar’s expenditures

According to official sources, Chandrasekhar has spent around Rs 20 crore on different models and Bollywood celebrities, out of which a few had refused to accept gifts from him.

Jacqueline has been given a limited duration to travel abroad for work purposes and legal proceedings against her continue. The case has thrown light on the larger issue of illegal activities in the entertainment industry and its impact on those involved.