More B-Town celebs under ED scanner

The Enforcement Directorate (ED), probing alleged conman Sukesh Chandrashekhar in the Rs 200 crore money laundering case, has mentioned that he has an association with several Bollywood celebrities including a young actress and a senior actress. According to the disclosure statement of Sukesh Chandrashekhar, he claimed that he knew the young actress, whose father is also a Bollywood personality, since 2015, and had helped her in the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) case.

Speaking about other Bollywood celebrities, Chandrashekhar told ED that he also knew a veteran actor and was planning to co-produce a movie starring a current heartthrob. Chandrashekhar's disclosure statement also mentioned that he had contacted the senior actress regarding a recent controversy her husband found himself in.

Earlier, ED had questioned actor Jacqueline Fernandez and Nora Fatehi for their alleged connection with Chandrashekhar. The central agency stated that Jacqueline and Nora received top models of luxury cars and other expensive gifts from the accused. The Patiala House Court recently took cognisance of the ED's charge sheet against Chandrashekhar, his wife Leena Maria Paul, and others in the Rs 200 crore money laundering case. All the accused are in judicial custody. The ED had arrested them under the PMLA in the extortion racket which was being run from the Tihar jail.

According to ED, during the investigation, searches were conducted at various places linked to Chandrashekar and his associates. During the search, 16 high-end vehicles were seized under Section 17 of the PMLA and these cars are either in the name of firms of Leena Maria Paul or in the name of third parties. It is further submitted that it has emerged that Chandrashekar knowingly created the structure for layering and transferring proceeds of crime and thus, actively participated in the process of money laundering.

Chandrashekar and Leena Maria Paul along with several others accused were earlier arrested by the Delhi Police. The police have recently also invoked MCOCA in the case. The Delhi Police had alleged that Leena, Chandrashekar with others used hawala routes and created shell companies to park the money earned from proceeds of crime.

The Delhi Police's Economic Offences Wing (EOW) had registered an FIR against Chandrasekhar for allegedly duping the spouses of former promoters of Ranbaxy, Shivinder Singh, and Malvinder Singh, of Rs 200 crore besides ongoing investigations against him in several cases across the country.

Searches were conducted at various places linked to Chandrashekar and his associates and 16 high-end vehicles were seized