On Monday, 11 May the Enforcement Directorate (ED) opposed actor Jacqueline Fernandez’s plea to become an approver in the money-laundering case linked to Sukesh Chandrasekhar, telling the court that she had actively benefited from the proceeds of crime and was now seeking to avoid prosecution.
The agency made its submission before special judge Prashant Sharma at Patiala House courts.
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She was an active participant: ED opposes Jacqueline Fernandez's plea to turn approver in PMLA case
— Bar and Bench (@barandbench) May 11, 2026
report by @prashantjha996 https://t.co/dY70co3aPe
ED says Jacqueline was no ‘unwitting victim’
According to the ED, Fernandez was not an “unwitting victim,” as she has claimed, and remained in regular contact with Chandrasekhar despite knowing his criminal antecedents.
The agency said she accepted gifts and other benefits arranged out of the alleged proceeds of crime, and maintained that her conduct during the investigation showed a lack of candour.
The response also said her statements under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act were evasive, contradictory and incomplete.
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The Enforcement Directorate opposed actor Jacqueline Fernandez’s plea to become an approver in the Rs 200-crore money laundering case involving alleged conman Sukesh Chandrashekar, claiming she knowingly accepted benefits from proceeds of crime despite awareness of his criminal… pic.twitter.com/7Ht7Bj6Ygq
— LawChakra (@LawChakra) May 11, 2026
Agency calls approver plea an ‘abuse of law’
In its filing, the agency argued that the plea was “nothing but an abuse of the process of law” and said allowing her to turn approver would amount to a “miscarriage of justice.”
It also said her application was inconsistent with the purpose of the approver scheme, which requires full and true disclosure from an accused seeking pardon or lesser punishment.
Court to hear matter again on May 12
Jacqueline Fernandez had moved the Delhi court last month seeking approver status in the ₹200 crore case.
The ED case traces back to a Delhi Police FIR from August 2021, which alleged that Chandrasekhar and his associates duped Aditi Singh, wife of former Ranbaxy promoter Shivinder Singh, of ₹200 crore by impersonating top government officials.
The court has posted the matter for further proceedings on May 12 after Fernandez’s counsel sought time to take instructions.
