A Delhi Court on Tuesday granted bail to bollywood actress Jacqueline Fernandez in an alleged money laundering case of Rs. 200 crores. The alleged Conman Sukesh Chandra Shekar is also an accused in this case.
Special Judge Shailendra Malik of Patiala House Court granted bail to Jacqueline Fernandes. Earlier she was granted interim bail. The Court had raised questions that why the agency did not arrest her during the investigation. The court had said that the agency arrested some accused while the others were not. “Why this policy of pick and choose?,” the Court questioned.
Jacquline’s Counsel senior advocate Siddharth Agarwal and Prashant Patil submitted that the actress cooperated with the investigation and her statement was recovered 5 times.
They also submitted that she was not arrested during the investigation and supplementary charge sheet has been filed and she is also a woman. This proposition ought not to be altered by the court.
It was also argued that she was not aware that the gifts she received were out of proceeds of crime. In these circumstances, she is entitled to bail.
On the other hand counsel for ED submitted that she has a history of attempt to flee the country. She did not cooperated in the investigation.
Apart from this she is economically sound, she can influence the investigation and win over the witnesses.
She possessed, used and enjoyed the proceeds of crime, ED argued. It is the role of the accused. The investigation is still going on, any other may crop up.
ED’s counsel also submitted that she is foreign national and has rootes in Sri Lanka. Her parents living in Bahrin, her brother is living in Australia and sister is in another country. She may flee if she is enlarged on bail.
She can not be granted bail only ground of accused being a woman as she did not cooperated in the investigation.
