Extortion scam: Jacqueline Fernandez questioned for 8 hrs

Bollywood actor Jacqueline Fernandez was questioned for nearly eight hours by the Delhi Police's Economic Offences Wing on Wednesday in connection with a Rs 200 crore extortion scam. 

Reports said the actor left the Mandir Marg office of the probe agency at 8 pm after the interrogation which began at 11.30 am.

Jacqueline was given a long questionnaire including at least 100 questions that the officers said mostly pertained to her relationship with Sukesh Chandrashekhar, the alleged conman, and the gifts she received from him, sources reported. 

The gifts are said to have been brought using the proceeds of the crime.

Jacqueline, a Sri Lankan, joined the probe after being issued a third summon. Previously, she had been summoned twice on August 29 and September 12  but she did not turn up on both dates.

Chandrashekhar's aide Pinky Irani, who allegedly introduced Jacqueline to him, was also summoned for questioning on Wednesday. 

Jacqueline and Irani were confronted together and the actor cooperated during the questioning, Special Commissioner of Police (Crime) Ravindra Yadav was quoted as saying by sources.

Yadav said Jacqueline will be called again for questioning but the date has not been fixed yet.

Meanwhile, actor Nora Fatehi and Irani have been summoned for questioning on Thursday. Fatehi has already been questioned for six to seven hours in the case. But the agency wants to interrogate her again as there are "certain unanwered questions", police said.

Chandrashekhar, a native of Bengaluru, who is currently in jail, is accused of cheating various people, including high-profile individuals such as former Fortis Healthcare promoter Shivinder Mohan Singh's wife Aditi Singh.

On August 17, the ED filed a chargesheet naming Jacqueline as an accused in a multi-crore money laundering case linked to Chandrashekhar.

According to the ED, Fatehi and Jacqueline received luxury cars and other expensive gifts from him.

The Enforcement Directorate also has registered a money laundering case based on the FIR registered by the Delhi Police. The ED recorded statements of Jacqueline on August 30 and October 20, 2021 and that of Fatehi on September 13 and October 14. Both the actors have reportedly admitted to having received gifts from Chandrashekhar.