New Delhi, 11 June (H.S.):Justice Prashant Kumar Mishra of the Supreme Court on Thursday recused himself from hearing the plea filed by actress Jacqueline Fernandez challenging a trial court order directing the framing of charges against her in the ₹217-crore extortion case. The matter will now be heard by a Bench that does not include Justice Mishra. The next hearing has been scheduled for June 25.

The Patiala House Court had earlier ordered the framing of charges not only against Jacqueline Fernandez but also against alleged conman Sukesh Chandrasekhar and his wife Leena Paul.

The trial court directed that charges be framed against the accused under Sections 3 and 4 of the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA), as well as Sections 170, 186, 384, 386, 388, 406, 409, 420, 468, 471, and 120B of the Indian Penal Code, in addition to Section 66 of the Information Technology Act.

The case originated from a complaint filed by Aditi Singh, following which the Delhi Police registered a criminal case. Subsequently, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) also initiated a money laundering investigation.

According to submissions made by the ED before the court, Sukesh Chandrasekhar admitted to receiving ₹57 crore from Aditi Singh. However, the agency's investigation allegedly found that the actual amount obtained was approximately ₹80 crore. The ED described Sukesh as the mastermind behind the operation and stated that he had made the initial contact with Aditi Singh through a landline telephone. The agency further alleged that the money was used to purchase vehicles, luxury items, and expensive gifts.

The ED has also alleged that Sukesh Chandrasekhar used proceeds of crime obtained through fraudulent activities involving Aditi Singh, the wife of businessman Shivinder Singh, and several other high-profile individuals to purchase gifts for Jacqueline Fernandez.

According to the agency, Sukesh designed and executed the entire criminal operation and created the infrastructure through which the alleged offences were carried out. The Delhi Police has invoked provisions of MCOCA against Sukesh Chandrasekhar in connection with the case.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar