New Delhi: Sukesh Chandrasekhar, an alleged conman who ran a Rs 200 crore extortion racket, released a letter Wednesday, stating that actor Jacqueline Fernandez, with whom he claims to have been in a “relationship”, has “no involvement in the ongoing money laundering case” against him, and that the gifts he gave her were from “legitimate earnings”.
Trouble has been brewing for Sri Lankan actor Fernandez ever since the Enforcement Directorate (ED) tagged her as a witness and a possible “beneficiary” of a Rs 200-crore money laundering racket allegedly run by Chandrasekhar. In December last year, Fernandez was stopped from boarding a flight to Muscat from Mumbai airport after the ED issued a lookout circular (LOC) in her name. She has also appeared before the ED for questioning on several occasions.
A 7,000-page charge sheet filed by the agency mentions that Chandrasekhar gave Fernandez an Arabian horse worth Rs 52 lakh, three Persian cats that cost about Rs 9 lakh each, diamond sets and other gifts. According to the charge sheet, Fernandez received extravagant gifts worth up to Rs 10 crore from Sukesh Chandrasekhar, who has been in prison since 2017.
Speaking to ThePrint, Chandrasekhar’s lawyer Anant Malik said the handwritten letter was handed over to him during a legal meeting.
“This letter was handed over to me personally by Sukesh during our legal mulaqat. He was very disturbed with all the trolling and allegations that are being levelled against Jacqueline. He was also disturbed that his personal pictures with Jacqueline were being circulated on social media,” Malik said.
Also read: Horse, Persian cats, gifts worth Rs 10 cr: How ‘conman’ got Jacqueline Fernandez in ED trouble
‘My gifts were not proceeds of any crime’
In the letter, accessed by ThePrint, Chandrasekhar claimed none of the gifts given to Fernandez by him were proceeds of any crime.
“I have gifted her things and done things for her family, as normal things one would do for his loved one in a relationship,” he wrote. “None of it was ‘proceeds of so-called crime’, it is all from legitimate earnings and the same would be proved in the court of law very soon,” he wrote.
Chandrashekhar further said everyone should stop looking at Fernandez as if she has done “something wrong”.
“I request everyone again to stop looking at her in a wrong way and instead show her love and support as she is not wrong in any way,” he wrote.
“Kindly stop projecting her in a wrong way, as it is not easy on her, who has only loved without expecting anything. As I have mentioned, she is not involved in the ongoing money laundering case,” he wrote.
‘Sad to see private pictures being circulated’
Chandrashekhar further said he feels sad seeing his private pictures being circulated on social media.
“It is really sad and disturbing to see private pictures being circulated. It is a complete violation of one’s privacy and personal space,” he wrote.
“As I have mentioned before, Jacqueline and I were in a relationship. We were seeing each other and the relationship was not based on any kind of monetary benefits, like the way it is projected,” he wrote. “The relationship had lots of love and respect for each other, without any expectations.”
(Edited by Saikat Niyogi)
Also read: Jacqueline Fernandez requests media to respect privacy after picture with alleged conman surfaces