(Image source from: Indiatoday.in)

The Enforcement Directorate, known as ED, stated on Monday that they are against Bollywood star Jacqueline Fernandez's request to become a witness in a money laundering case involving Rs 200 crore, which is connected to the alleged fraudster Sukesh Chandrashekhar. The agency made this statement in a city court. Last month, Fernandez asked to be recognized as a witness in this case related to Sukesh Chandrashekhar, who is viewed by prosecutors as a habitual fraudster. She has been accused of accepting multiple gifts from Chandrashekhar, with whom she was said to have had a relationship. Currently, Chandrashekhar is imprisoned in Tihar Jail, where it is alleged he continued his illegal activities while incarcerated. He is accused of pretending to be a high-ranking government official linked to the Prime Minister's Office and the Union Home Ministry to trick businesswoman Aditi Singh out of nearly Rs 200 crore over a period of seven to eight months. Additional Sessions Judge Prashant Sharma at Patiala House Court instructed Fernandez to respond to the ED's objections and set the next court date for May 12.

As per the federal investigation agency, Fernandez should not be seen as a minor player in the case, claiming she kept in "regular and sustained" contact with Chandrashekhar even after knowing about his criminal past. The agency alleged that she did not provide full information in five statements made under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act and did not fully assist the investigators. Fernandez was named as a suspect in an additional prosecution complaint lodged in August 2022, almost eight months after the ED initially charged eight other individuals in December 2021. The Delhi High Court rejected her request last year to dismiss the legal actions against her. Judge Sharma instructed Fernandez to submit her response to the ED's objections and scheduled the next hearing for Tuesday.