Nora Fatehi

Niharika Lal (BOMBAY TIMES; December 14, 2022)

In a dramatic turn of events, Nora Fatehi filed a defamation case against fellow actress Jacqueline Fernandez on Monday, claiming that the latter dragged her in the Rs. 200 crore money laundering case involving Sukesh Chandrashekhar. Nora’s plea states that the allegations levelled against her are untrue and the claims that she received gifts from Chandrashekhar were false, and Jacqueline’s statements were defamatory and had mala fide intentions.

The petition filed by Nora before Delhi’s Patiala House Court states that Jacqueline’s written pleadings before a Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) appellate authority claimed that while Nora had also received gifts from Chandrashekhar, she was simply made witness in the case, whereas Jacqueline was made an accused in the matter.

AUG 2021-DEC 2022: HOW THE CASE UNFOLDED
AUG 2021: The ED summoned Jacqueline for the first time in connection with the case.

OCT 2021: Chandrashekhar’s lawyer claimed that Jacqueline was in a relationship with Sukesh. Jacqueline’s spokesperson said in a statement, “She is being called to testify as a witness.”

OCT 2021: Nora was summoned by ED.

DEC 6, 2021: Jacqueline offloaded from Muscat-bound flight by immigration officials at Mumbai airport.

APR 2022: The ED attached assets worth ₹7.27 crore belonging to Jacqueline.

DEC 6, 2021-AUG 2022: Jacqueline questioned as a witness in the case.

AUG 2022: ED named Jacqueline as an accused in a supplementary chargesheet in the extortion case against Chandrashekhar.

SEPT 2022: ED in its chargesheet said that Jacqueline cooked up a false story.

OCT 2022: A Delhi court extended Jacqueline’s interim bail until Nov 10.

NOV 2022: A Delhi court granted her bail on a personal bond of 2 lakh and one surety of the same amount on the condition that she would not leave the country without the court’s permission.

DEC 2022: The matter got deferred to December 20. Nora filed a defamation case against Jacqueline.

WHAT IS THE MONEY LAUNDERING CASE ABOUT
The case pertains to an FIR filed by the Delhi Police in connection with an extortion racket allegedly operated by Chandrashekhar. He allegedly extorted sums to the tune of ₹200 crore from a businessman. Between August 2021 and August 2022, Jacqueline was questioned as a witness in the case, but in August this year she was made an accused by the Enforcement Directorate (ED). Nora is being questioned as a witness.