Delhi court allows Jacqueline to travel abroad without prior permission in money laundering case

New Delhi: A Delhi court has modified the bail conditions for Bollywood actress Jacqueline Fernandez. Jacqueline is one of the accused in the Rs 200 crore money laundering case. Jailed conman Sukesh Chandrasekhar is the main accused in the case. The court has allowed Jacqueline to leave the country without prior permission, provided she informs the court and the Enforcement Directorate (ED) three days before her departure.

Special Judge Shailendra Malik observed that Jacqueline’s frequent travel abroad was necessary due to her professional commitments. The judge said Jacqueline had never abused her bail conditions and the prior permission requirement could hinder her career opportunities. The court noted that Jacqueline, a Sri Lankan national living in India since 2009, has consistently paid income tax and has not violated any bail conditions.

The amendment came in response to Jacqueline’s application, which stated that procedures seeking court’s permission to travel often take time to complete, causing financial loss and tarnishing her reputation. It has been claimed that being an actress of international repute, she is often busy with film shoots, attending events, attending various award functions, etc., which are indispensable to her professional pursuits and livelihood.

In some cases, it takes time for the accused to obtain court permission to travel abroad, which is mandatory under the bail conditions. It is further claimed that due to this they have faced certain situations where the organizers, producers and Other film industry professionals opted to involve other individuals due to the time-consuming process of seeking court approval to leave India.

The court had started hearing the charges against Jacqueline in July. The court had granted him pre-arrest bail on November 5, 2022. The ED had recently filed its second supplementary charge sheet naming him as an accused in the case. Jacqueline and another Bollywood personality Nora Fatehi have recorded their statements as witnesses in the case.

Earlier, the ED had attached Jacqueline’s assets and fixed deposits worth Rs 7.2 crore and termed the ‘gifts’ and ‘properties’ she received from Sukesh Chandrasekhar as ‘proceeds of crime’. had filed its first supplementary charge sheet against aide Pinky Irani. It was Pinky who introduced him to Sukesh Chandrasekhar.

The charge sheet alleged that Pinky used to choose expensive gifts for Jacqueline and Chandrashekhar used to pay for them. Pinky used to drop them to their residence after giving gifts. In December 2021, the investigating agency filed the first charge sheet in this case. According to official sources, Chandrasekhar has spent around Rs 20 crore on various models and Bollywood celebrities. However, some people refused to accept the gift from him.