Delhi High Court reserves order in Jacqueline Fernandez's ED case
What's the story
On Thursday, the Delhi High Court reserved its order on actor Jacqueline Fernandez's plea challenging the Enforcement Directorate's complaint under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).
The case revolves around the actor allegedly receiving expensive gifts from jailed conman Sukesh Chandrasekhar.
The complaint is linked to a ₹200 crore money laundering case.
Fernandez had requested the court to quash both the Enforcement Case Information Report (ECIR) and the supplementary chargesheet filed against her.
Legal arguments
Accepting gifts from a criminal can't make one a criminal
Represented by Senior Advocate Siddharth Aggarwal, Fernandez's legal team argued that she should not be held accountable simply because she received gifts.
During the hearing, Aggarwal questioned the logic that anyone receiving money from a criminal becomes a money launderer, per Hindustan Times.
He said this would implicate everyday people like vendors or lawyers.
Aggarwal also stressed that Fernandez had no prior knowledge of Chandrasekhar's criminal past and was introduced to him as a business tycoon.
Celebrity
'Today, I am paying the price of being a celebrity'
Aggarwal stated, "Today, I am paying the price of being a celebrity," while explaining that Fernandez's association with Chandrasekhar was purely based on his projected identity.
He emphasized that celebrities often meet businessmen who may have ongoing cases.
He also mentioned that the case's continued media attention has unfairly targeted Fernandez.
The plea underlined that there is no proof of Fernandez aiding in laundering any of Chandrasekhar's wealth and that she is being victimized.
PMLA
ED says PMLA case is separate from other investigations
The ED, however, countered that its investigation under PMLA is independent of any police probe into the original offence.
It maintained that even if Fernandez wasn't involved in the predicate offence, she could still be prosecuted under PMLA.
The ED further argued that Fernandez continued to accept gifts from Chandrasekhar despite being aware of his background, thus weakening her claim of innocence.
It earlier opposed her plea to quash the case, calling it premature.
Innocence
Court decision reserved; Fernandez claims she's an innocent victim
In her petition, Fernandez claimed she is an innocent victim of Chandrasekhar's targeted fraud and has no involvement in laundering any money.
The plea argues that the ED's evidence itself would show that she didn't knowingly support or benefit from any illegal activity.
"My prayer is not to quash the complaint completely, it's only qua the present applicant," said Aggarwal. As of now, the court has reserved its decision and will announce the verdict soon.