New Delhi: Bollywood actor Jacqueline Fernandez has now escalated her legal battle to the Supreme Court of India, seeking relief against the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in a high-profile Rs 215-crore money laundering case linked to alleged conman Sukesh Chandrashekhar.
A bench of Justices Dipankar Datta and Augustine George Masih is scheduled to hear her plea on September 22, marking another chapter in what has become one of India’s most closely watched financial crime investigations.
Background
The case traces back to July 3, when the Delhi High Court dismissed Fernandez’s petition seeking cancellation of the ED proceedings. The actor had challenged the Enforcement Case Information Report (ECIR) and the supplementary chargesheet, claiming she was a victim of a calculated scheme orchestrated by Chandrashekhar.
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According to the ED, Fernandez received gifts including jewellery, luxury clothing, and vehicles worth nearly Rs 7 crore from Chandrashekhar, who was accused of duping high-profile businessmen and others. Despite this, Fernandez has consistently maintained her innocence, insisting that she had no knowledge of his criminal history.
At the Delhi High Court, Justice Anish Dayal had clarified that:
"Whether the accused had actually committed a crime can only be determined by the trial court."
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The court also observed that the allegations themselves, regardless of severity, did not justify quashing the case at such an early stage. The ED had pointed out that Fernandez allegedly deleted data from her phone after Chandrashekhar's arrest and initially concealed financial transactions linked to him.
The High Court made no ruling on the truth of these claims, emphasizing that procedural safeguards and trial processes must run their course.With the Supreme Court now set to hear her plea, the case brings into focus issues of celebrity accountability, financial crime investigations, and the delicate balance between preventive judicial intervention and the right of due process.
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Fernandez's legal team will argue that the evidence against her is insufficient and that she is being unfairly dragged into a case orchestrated by Chandrashekhar.
The Supreme Court’s decision on September 22 will determine whether Fernandez’s plea to quash the ED case will be entertained or if the matter will continue in the trial courts.
Case Title: Jacqueline Fernandez vs Enforcement Directorate
Case No.:- SLP (CRL.) no. 14759/2025
