Court grants bail to conman Sukesh Chandrasekhar’s aide in Rs 200 crore money-laundering case

Accused Pinky Irani allegedly introduced Chandrasekhar to Bollywood actress Jacqueline Fernandez and was acting as an agent for him to facilitate his certain actions such as buying gifts for various celebrities or sending gifts, flowers, meals to them as and when instructed

Photo for representation. — iStock

PTI

New Delhi, February 16

A Delhi court has granted bail to a woman arrested for aiding the alleged conman Sukesh Chandrasekhar in a Rs 200 crore money laundering case.

The court granted the relief to accused Pinky Irani who allegedly introduced Chandrasekhar to Bollywood actress Jacqueline Fernandez and was acting as an agent for him to facilitate his certain actions such as buying gifts for various celebrities or sending gifts, flowers, meals to them as and when instructed.

Additional Sessions Judge Praveen Singh passed the order on February 15, saying the accused was a woman of advanced age.

“Therefore, once the investigation has been completed and the evidence, which is mostly documentary in nature, has been collected, I do not find that there is any possibility of the accused applicant tampering with the evidence. Considering the overall facts and circumstances, I find that no fruitful purpose will be served by keeping the accused in further custody,” the judge said.

The court granted bail on a personal bond of Rs 1 lakh with one surety of like amount.

The Enforcement Directorate had earlier questioned Fernandez in case. Another actress Nora Fatehi was also questioned by the ED here in connection with the same case.

This ED case is based on an FIR filed by Delhi Police’s Economic Offences Wing (EOW) against Sukesh Chandrasekhar who is accused of cheating and extorting Aditi Singh, wife of the former promoter of Religare Enterprises Shivinder Mohan Singh, who was arrested in October 2019 in a case related to alleged misappropriation of funds at Religare Finvest Ltd.

Chandrasekhar and his associates reportedly took money from Aditi after posing as government officials and promising to get bail for her husband.

Chandrasekhar reportedly persuaded Aditi to transfer money by impersonating a central government official over a spoof call while he was lodged in Rohini jail and promised to manage bail for her husband.