Supreme Court Judge Recuses From Hearing Jacqueline Fernandez’s Plea in Money Laundering Case
New Delhi — Supreme Court Justice Prashant Kumar Mishra on Thursday recused himself from hearing Bollywood actor Jacqueline Fernandez’s plea challenging a Delhi court order framing charges against her in a Rs 200 crore money laundering case linked to alleged conman Sukesh Chandrashekhar.
A bench of Justices P.K. Mishra and Atul S. Chandurkar was hearing the matter when Justice Mishra said he could not take up the case because his son had appeared for the government in a connected matter.
“In one of the connected matters, my son had appeared on behalf of the government. The case must therefore be placed before a different Bench,” Justice Mishra observed.
He directed that the matter be listed before another bench of which he is not a member. The case has now been posted for hearing on June 25.
Fernandez filed a special leave petition in the Supreme Court challenging a Delhi High Court order that refused to quash the Enforcement Directorate’s prosecution complaint and the trial court’s decision to frame charges against her under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act.
Earlier this month, Fernandez pleaded not guilty before a Delhi court and said she was willing to face trial in the case.
Appearing before the Patiala House Court on June 3, she denied the charges framed against her under the PMLA and opted to contest the case on merits.
The trial court also framed money laundering charges against Chandrashekhar, his wife Leena Maria Paul and 14 others. All of them pleaded not guilty and sought trial. The matter is currently listed before the trial court for further proceedings on July 16.
The development came weeks after Fernandez withdrew her application seeking to become an approver in the case. The ED had opposed the plea, saying her conduct during the investigation was “not satisfactory” and that she had failed to make a “full and true disclosure” in statements recorded under Section 50 of the PMLA.
The agency has alleged that Fernandez remained in regular contact with Chandrashekhar even after becoming aware of his criminal background and did not fully cooperate with the investigation into the alleged proceeds of crime.
According to the ED, Chandrashekhar arranged luxury gifts, valuables and other benefits for Fernandez using proceeds of crime generated through alleged money-laundering activities.
The agency has accused Fernandez of receiving luxury gifts worth about Rs 7 crore from Chandrashekhar. The actor has maintained that she had no knowledge of his alleged criminal activities or the source of the money used to buy the gifts.
The money laundering case stems from allegations that Chandrashekhar cheated the wives of former Ranbaxy promoters Shivinder Singh and Malvinder Singh of nearly Rs 200 crore. (Source: IANS)
