Supreme Court Judge Recuses From Jacqueline Fernandez Money Laundering Plea
SC judge recuses, delaying hearing in Jacqueline Fernandez ED case.
Bollywood actor Jacqueline Fernandez’s plea in the ongoing ₹200-crore money laundering case faced a procedural setback on Thursday after a Supreme Court judge recused himself from hearing the matter. The case relates to allegations linked to alleged conman Sukesh Chandrasekhar and is being investigated by the Enforcement Directorate (ED).
The matter was listed before a partial working day bench comprising Justice Prashant Kumar Mishra and Justice Atul S. Chandurkar. During the hearing, Justice Mishra informed the court that he was unable to continue with the case due to a potential conflict of interest, stating that his son had appeared in a connected matter for the government side in earlier proceedings. Following this disclosure, the judge formally recused himself.
The bench subsequently directed that the case be placed before another appropriate bench. The Supreme Court registry is expected to place the matter before the Chief Justice of India for fresh allocation. The hearing has now been rescheduled for June 25, when it will be heard by a bench that does not include Justice Mishra.
Also Read: Supreme Court To Hear Jacqueline Fernandez’s Plea in Money Laundering Case
Fernandez had approached the Supreme Court challenging earlier proceedings in the case, including the framing of charges under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002. She has also sought quashing of the Enforcement Case Information Report (ECIR) dated August 8, 2021, as well as a supplementary complaint filed by the ED.
In previous proceedings, the Supreme Court had declined to interfere with a Delhi High Court ruling that dismissed her plea to quash the ECIR. The Delhi trial court had already framed charges against her, while she was granted regular bail in November 2022. The ED has alleged that she received luxury gifts worth crores of rupees that were purchased using proceeds of crime linked to Chandrasekhar’s alleged extortion network.
Fernandez has consistently maintained that she was misled by Chandrasekhar and had no knowledge that the gifts were financed through illegal activities. Her legal counsel has argued before the court that she was not part of the principal offence of extortion and that there is no evidence indicating her involvement in laundering illicit funds.
The Enforcement Directorate, however, has maintained in its chargesheet that she did not cooperate fully during investigations and has described her as one of the accused in the broader money laundering probe. The agency has already attached properties linked to the case as part of its ongoing investigation. With the latest recusal, the hearing will now proceed before a new bench, while the case continues to remain under judicial scrutiny amid ongoing arguments from both the defence and prosecution.
Also Read: Supreme Court To Hear Jacqueline Fernandez’s Plea in Money Laundering Case
