On Thursday, a Supreme Court Bench declined to hear Bollywood actor Jacqueline Fernandez’s challenge to a Delhi Court order directing the framing of charges against her in the ₹200-crore money laundering case linked to alleged conman Sukesh Chandrashekhar. The matter gained immediate significance after Justice Prashant Kumar Mishra recused himself from the proceedings, resulting in the case being placed before a different Bench later this month.
The plea arose from a recent Delhi court order directing that charges be framed against Jacqueline Fernandez, Sukesh Chandrashekhar and several other accused in connection with the Enforcement Directorate’s money laundering investigation. The agency has alleged that Fernandez remained in regular contact with Chandrashekhar and received expensive gifts through his associate, Pinky Irani. According to the prosecution, Chandrashekhar operated a criminal network from prison, allegedly posing as senior government officials and using fabricated identities, spoofed calls and encrypted communication platforms to induce victims into parting with large sums of money.
Aggrieved by the trial court’s decision to proceed with charges, Fernandez approached the Apex Court seeking relief.
The Bench comprising Justice Prashant Kumar Mishra and Justice Atul S. Chandurkar did not enter into the merits of the dispute. Instead, Justice Mishra disclosed a potential conflict and informed the parties that the matter would have to be heard by another Bench. Explaining the reason for recusal, the Judge stated, “There is some difficulty. In one of the connected matters, my son had appeared on the government side.”
The Bench accordingly directed that the matter be listed on June 25 before a Bench of which one of the present judges is not a member, thereby postponing consideration of Fernandez’s challenge to the order framing charges.
Source PTI
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