Bollywood actor Jacqueline Fernandez and alleged conman Sukesh Chandrashekhar are officially heading to trial. On Saturday, a Delhi court ordered the framing of charges against the pair and 15 others in a ₹200 crore money laundering investigation. The ruling advances the Enforcement Directorate’s ongoing crackdown on organized criminal networks allegedly running extortion rackets right out of Indian prisons like Tihar Jail.
Additional Sessions Judge Prashant Sharma directed that all 17 individuals face charges under Section 3 of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, which carries penalties under Section 4. The court mandated the formal signing of the charges for June 3, 2026, ordering the accused to appear physically at 2:00 PM.
The underlying criminal case originated from a Delhi Police extortion complaint filed by Aditi Singh, the wife of former Ranbaxy promoter Shivinder Singh. Investigators maintain that Chandrashekhar successfully spoofed phone numbers to impersonate senior government officials, tricking Singh into parting with huge sums of money. The court also formalized separate, harsher charges under the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act against Chandrashekhar and his direct associates, though Fernandez is not implicated in that specific extortion complaint.
Fernandez was drawn into the legal fight after the ED named her in a supplementary chargesheet. The agency accused the actor of being in regular contact with Chandrashekhar and receiving high-value luxury gifts purchased with the illicit funds through an intermediary named Pinky Irani. Reading the order, the judge stated there was prima facie sufficient material on record to raise a strong suspicion against all 17 accused.
Fernandez recently attempted a different legal maneuver. Earlier this month, she applied to turn approver in the money laundering case. The ED aggressively fought the move. The agency argued she was a significant beneficiary of the racket and continued to associate with Chandrashekhar despite knowing his criminal history. Following the intense opposition, Fernandez withdrew her application.