Actress Nora Fatehi's name has come up in the ₹200-crore extortion case involving Sukesh Chandrashekhar, but her legal team has stressed that she is appearing in the matter only as a witness and faces no criminal allegations. The clarification comes after the Economic Offences Wing (EOW) matter was listed before the Rouse Avenue Court in Delhi on November 2.

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The Rouse Avenue Court has asked Fatehi to appear on November 6 to give evidence in the case. Her lawyers told the court that she had received the summons at short notice and could not make it to the hearing because of prior professional commitments. They also moved an application seeking exemption from her personal appearance.

In a statement issued on Tuesday, the actor's legal representatives said her advocates had appeared before the court and requested that her absence be excused. The matter was subsequently listed for November 6, with fresh summons issued for her appearance.

The legal team also sought to clarify her position in the proceedings. “It is clarified that Nora Fatehi is neither an accused nor alleged to have committed any offence in these proceedings. She has been summoned solely as a witness to assist the Court,” the statement read.

However, reports from the November 2 hearing said the court expressed displeasure over her absence. The Delhi Police told the court that a notice had been sent to Fatehi by email and WhatsApp on October 22, and that calls had also been made

Her counsel, meanwhile, told the court that she had been informed about the summons on October 29. Additional Sessions Judge Gagandeep Singh cautioned the legal team against taking the court for granted and directed that fresh summons be issued. Source

What is the Sukesh Chandrashekhar extortion case?

The case centres on allegations that Chandrashekhar orchestrated an extortion operation from inside Delhi's Rohini Jail between 2020 and 2021. According to the police, he posed as senior government officials and contacted Aditi Singh, wife of former Fortis Healthcare promoter Shivinder Mohan Singh, claiming he could help secure her husband's release from jail. Investigators allege that around ₹200 crore was collected from her through this scheme.

The Delhi Police investigated the alleged extortion and filed charges under the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA), along with provisions of the Indian Penal Code. Chandrashekhar's wife, Leena Maria Paulose, and several others have also been named in the case. A court has framed charges against Chandrashekhar, Paulose and other accused, and the proceedings are currently at the stage of recording prosecution evidence. Source

Why has Nora Fatehi been called as a witness?

Fatehi had previously been questioned by the Economic Offences Wing about her alleged links with Chandrashekhar and Paulose. During the investigation, her statement was recorded under Section 164 of the Code of Criminal Procedure. She was later included as a prosecution witness in a supplementary chargesheet and is listed as witness LW-3 in the third supplementary chargesheet.

During questioning, the actor reportedly told investigators that her communication with Chandrashekhar had taken place through his wife. She was also asked about an event she attended in Chennai in December 2020. Her appearance before the court is now sought as part of the prosecution's evidence in the extortion case.