New Delhi, 06 November (H.S.): Actress Nora Fatehi appeared before the Rouse Avenue Court on Friday as a witness in the extortion case registered against Sukesh Chandrashekhar in connection with the alleged Rs. 200-crore fraud involving Aditi Singh, wife of former Ranbaxy promoter Shivinder Singh. Fatehi appeared before the court of Special Judge Gagandeep Singh to have her statement recorded.

The court had earlier summoned her to appear on November 2. However, she did not appear on that date. Subsequently, the court issued a fresh summons directing her to appear on November 6, following which she appeared before the court on Friday.

In this case, the court had, on September 15, ordered the framing of charges against accused Navas K. The charges were framed under Sections 3(2), 3(3) and 3(4) of the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA), along with Sections 384, 386, 388, 419, 420 and 506 of the Indian Penal Code. The Economic Offences Wing (EOW) had named Navas K. as an accused in its sixth supplementary chargesheet.

In a related money-laundering case, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) had informed the court that Sukesh had admitted to receiving Rs. 57 crore from Aditi Singh, while the investigation revealed that the actual amount taken was Rs. 80 crore. The ED had described Sukesh as the mastermind of the operation. According to the agency, he initially contacted Aditi Singh through a landline telephone.

The ED further stated that, according to Sukesh's account, the money was used to purchase cars, luxury items and gifts.

On November 15, 2022, the court granted bail to actress Jacqueline Fernandez. Earlier, on August 31, 2022, the court had taken cognisance of the supplementary chargesheet filed against her. The ED had submitted the supplementary chargesheet on August 17, 2022, naming Fernandez as an accused in the case. In April that year, the agency had also attached assets worth Rs. 7 crore belonging to her.

According to the ED's chargesheet, Sukesh Chandrashekhar, the prime accused in the case, had gifted items worth more than Rs. 5.71 crore to Fernandez. He allegedly arranged for the gifts to be delivered to her through his associate, Pinky Irani. The gifts included a horse worth Rs. 52 lakh and a Persian cat valued at Rs. 9 lakh.

The ED alleged that Sukesh used proceeds of crime obtained through fraud and extortion from several high-profile individuals, including Aditi Singh, to purchase gifts for Jacqueline Fernandez. According to the agency, Sukesh had devised the entire criminal network and personally orchestrated the offences. The Delhi Police has invoked the provisions of the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA) against him.

---------------

Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar