A Delhi court on Monday granted the Enforcement Directorate (ED) additional time to respond to actor Jacqueline Fernandez’s plea seeking to turn approver in the ₹200 crore money laundering case linked to alleged conman Sukesh Chandrasekhar.
The case came up for hearing at Patiala House Court, where special judge Prashant Sharma fixed the next date for hearing as May 8. In this regard, the Central investigating agency has asked for more time to consider the application. According to ANI, the ED has described the plea of Fernandez as "vague" and stated that they need more time to review the matter before replying.
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Fernandez had moved the application earlier this month, requesting that she be allowed to turn approver which is a legal provision under which an accused agrees to cooperate with the prosecution in exchange for a potential pardon.
What the case is about
The case stems from an alleged ₹200 crore extortion racket involving Sukesh Chandrasekhar, who is accused of cheating Aditi Singh, wife of former Ranbaxy promoter Shivinder Singh, by posing as a senior government official.
Investigations by the ED, based on an FIR filed by the Delhi Police, allege that the proceeds of crime were routed through hawala channels and shell companies. Chandrasekhar and his wife Leena Paulose were arrested along with several others, with authorities also invoking provisions of the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA).
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Fernandez has been under scrutiny in the case and was questioned multiple times during the investigation. She was later named as an accused in a supplementary chargesheet filed by the ED for allegedly receiving gifts purchased using the proceeds of crime.
Legal developments so far
Notice had been issued by the court to the ED following Fernandez's filing of her petition on April 17. Previously, in July 2025, the Delhi High Court had rejected her petition to set aside the ECIR registered against her. The Supreme Court refused to intervene in that decision.
With the ED yet to file its response, the court will now consider the plea at the next hearing.
