The Enforcement Directorate might make Nora Fatehi a witness against fraudster Sukesh Chandrasekhar in the Rs. 200 crore money laundering case it is investigating against him and his actress-wife, Leena Maria Paul. Like Jacqueline Fernandez, Nora had also received expensive gifts from Sukesh and Leena. Meanwhile, the ED has rejected Jacqueline’s request to cancel the look out circular issued against her in the case.
According to convention, if a person receives proceeds of crime unknowingly, and admits and discharges the burden of proof in statements to the ED, the investigator very often treats such a person as a witness against the key accused in the case. However, the proceeds received from the criminal would come within the purview of section 5 of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act and would be provisionally attached. The ED claimed that Sukesh and his wife had gifted Nora a BMW, a Gucci bag and an iPhone.
The ED had mentioned Nora and Jacqueline in a chargesheet it filed recently against Sukesh in a Delhi court. Sukesh Chandrasekhar had extorted hundreds of crores of rupees from businessmen and others. He is said to have extorted Rs. 215 crore from the wife of Ranbaxy Lab ex-promoter Shivinder Singh, while he was in jail.