₹200 cr extortion case: Court orders charges against Sukesh, his wife and actress Jacqueline

The Patiala House Court in New Delhi on Saturday ordered framing of charges against alleged conman Sukesh Chandrasekhar, his wife Leena Maria Paul and actor Jacqueline Fernandez in connection with the ₹200 crore extortion and money laundering case. The court has also directed that charges be framed under the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA), marking a key development in the high-profile investigation.

The court further listed the matter for formal signing of charges on June 3, officials said.

The case stems from allegations that Sukesh Chandrasekhar was involved in a large-scale extortion racket targeting high-profile individuals, including the wives of former Ranbaxy promoters Shivinder Singh and Malvinder Singh.

According to investigators, the alleged fraud and money laundering network is believed to have siphoned off nearly ₹200 crore.

Delhi Police registered the case based on a complaint by Aditi Singh and later expanded the probe into suspected financial crimes and organised crime links.

Actor Jacqueline Fernandez has been named as an accused in the Enforcement Directorate’s (ED) chargesheets in the money laundering case.

The ED has alleged that she received luxury gifts worth around ₹7 crore from Sukesh Chandrasekhar, claiming these items were linked to proceeds of crime. The agency has also stated that Chandrasekhar’s aide Pinky Irani facilitated delivery of expensive gifts.

However, Jacqueline Fernandez has consistently maintained that she had no knowledge of any criminal activity or the source of the money behind the gifts.

She had earlier approached courts seeking relief in the case but faced opposition from the ED, which argued that she did not fully cooperate during the investigation.

With the court now directing framing of charges, the trial process is set to move forward. The next hearing on June 3 will focus on formal signing of charges against all accused.