Jacqueline Fernandez questioned as witness in money laundering case

Mumbai, Aug 30: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) is questioning Bollywood actor Jacqueline Fernandez as a witness in a money laundering case lodged against conman Sukesh Chandrasekhar.

On August 24, the ED said it has seized a beach-facing bungalow in Chennai, Rs 82.5 lakh cash and over a dozen luxurious cars in connection with a money laundering case against Sukesh Chandrashekar, an accused in an alleged multi-crore extortion racket.

Chandrashekhar is also an accused in the infamous Election Commission (EC) bribery case and is lodged in the Rohini jail of the national capital.

He was recently arrested by the Special Cell of the Delhi Police for allegedly extorting Rs 50 crore from a businessman based here. According to police, one of the alleged associates of Chandrashekhar posed as a top government official and targeted the Delhi-based businessman claiming that legal action could be initiated against him in connection with a case.

Chandrasekhar offered to help him through his "high contacts" and managed to extort Rs 50 crore from the victim, police had claimed.

As Chandrasekhar was lodged in the Rohini prison, his two associates, working at his behest from outside, collected the money from the victim, a police official had said.

Chandrasekhar, an alleged conman, was lodged in Tihar jail after getting arrested in April, 2017 from a hotel here in the EC bribery case. It was alleged that he took money from AIADMK (Amma) leader T T V Dhinakaran to bribe EC officials in connection with a dispute over the AIADMK "two leaves" poll symbol.

Chandrasekhar had allegedly struck a deal for Rs 50 crore to help the AIADMK (Amma) faction keep the "two leaves" symbol. An amount of Rs 1.3 crore was allegedly seized from his possession at the time of his arrest.