Bollywood actress Jacqueline Fernandez has been named an accused in the multi-crore money laundering case against conman Sukesh Chandrashekar, who faces charges of extortion amounting to a massive Rs 200 crore, on Wednesday, August 17. The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has arrested a total of eight people in this case, including Chandrashekhar and his wife Leena Maria Paul.

Jacqueline Fernandez
Instagram

'I am strong'

Hours after the ED named her in the case, the 'Drive' actress posted a cryptic note on her Instagram handle. Jacqueline took to her Instagram stories and shared a post about being 'being powerful and strong'. The note read, "Dear me, I deserve all good things, I am powerful, I accept myself, it will all be okay. I am strong, I will achieve my goals and dreams, I can do it."

Jacqueline Fernandez
Instagram

Chandrashekhar used illegal money to purchase expensive gifts

Jacqueline has been named an accused in the supplementary charge sheet filed in a Delhi court by the ED, which is probing the money trail in the extortion case. In April, the government agency had attached Rs 7.27 crore funds of the actress under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) apart from Rs 15 lakh cash as the agency called these funds "proceeds of crime".

According to ED, Chandrashekhar used illegal money to purchase expensive gifts worth over Rs 5 crores for the actress which he had extorted by cheating high-profile people including former Fortis Healthcare promoter Shivinder Mohan Singh's wife Aditi Singh. The agency has alleged that she was aware that the gifts were bought from the proceeds of the crime, hence naming her as an accused in the case. "Chandrasekhar had put Pinky Irani, his long-time associate and co-accused in this case to deliver the said gifts to her," the ED said in a statement.

Apart from the gifts, the ED also claims that Chandrasekhar has given "funds to the tune of USD 1,72,913 (about Rs 1.3 crore as per current exchange rate) and AUD 26740 (approx. Rs 14 lakh) to close family members of Fernandez out of the proceeds of crime through co-accused Avtar Singh Kochhar, an established and well known international hawala operator."