Supreme Court rejects Jacqueline Fernandez's plea to drop Rs 200 crore ED case; Here’s why

On Monday, the Supreme Court chose not to consider Bollywood actress Jacqueline Fernandez's plea in the money laundering case related to conman Sukesh Chandrashekhar, suggesting she approach the court at a more suitable time. The court allowed her to refile at an appropriate moment but declined to intervene at this point in the proceedings.

Jacqueline‘s appeal to the court

Jacqueline Fernandez has appealed to the Supreme Court, contesting the Delhi High Court's decision to dismiss her plea to halt the proceedings in the ₹200-crore money laundering case associated with alleged conman Sukesh Chandrashekhar. As part of her petition, Fernandez has also requested a temporary stay on the ongoing trial.

Her plea to the High Court specifically contested the Enforcement Directorate's (ED) Enforcement Case Information Report (ECIR) and the second supplementary complaint, which named her as the tenth accused. Fernandez asserted that the evidence presented by the ED itself proves her to be an "innocent victim" of what she described as Sukesh's "maliciously targeted attack."

The petition also highlighted that the ED acknowledged in its records that Tihar Jail officials had allowed Sukesh unrestricted access to mobile phones and electronic devices.

Fernandez's Arguments

According to the plea, Sukesh exploited this access to deceive the original complainant and several film personalities, including Fernandez, using a consistent method.

The actor further argued that because the ED had previously considered her a prosecution witness in the predicate offense, any later proceedings that named her as an accused should be dismissed.

Court's Decision

The Supreme Court's decision to dismiss Fernandez's plea was based on the judgment in Vijay Madanlal Choudhary, which upheld the constitutionality of various provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA). The court observed that the allegations against Fernandez must be taken at face value and that her defense should be considered at the trial stage. The bench granted her liberty to approach the court at an appropriate stage of the proceedings.