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The Supreme Court has dismissed actor Jacqueline Fernandez’s plea seeking to quash the ₹215-crore money laundering case in which conman Sukesh Chandrashekhar is the prime accused. The Bench of Justices Dipankar Datta and AG Masih directed Fernandez to raise her defence before the trial court, declining to interfere at this stage with the Enforcement Directorate’s (ED) probe and findings.

The case centers on allegations that Fernandez received luxury gifts amounting to around ₹7 crore from Chandrashekhar, with the ED claiming she accepted such gifts despite knowledge of his criminal background and even deleted phone data during the investigation. Fernandez consistently denied wrongdoing and previously failed in her attempt to secure relief from the Delhi High Court, which dismissed her plea in July 2025.

Senior Advocate Mukul Rohatgi, representing Fernandez, argued before the Supreme Court that she was neither involved in nor charged for the predicate offence of extortion under the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA). He contended that the gifts were unsolicited and that she was merely a witness, not a participant in money laundering.

However, the Bench maintained that current legal precedent (as laid out in Vijay Madanlal Choudhary) holds that even indirect recipients of proceeds linked to crime can fall within the ambit of money laundering. The Court, noting the pending review on that precedent, declined to quash the proceedings but ensured that no adverse comments from previous High Court observations would prejudice Fernandez during trial.

With this order, the Supreme Court has left the matter of Fernandez’s role and liability to be determined during trial, while preserving her right to challenge proceedings at a later, more appropriate stage.Supreme Court Refuses to Quash Money Laundering Case Against Jacqueline Fernandez
Bench Directs Actor to Present Her Defence During Trial, Assures No Prejudice from Delhi High Court Comments

The Supreme Court has dismissed a plea by actor Jacqueline Fernandez seeking to quash the ₹215-crore money laundering case in which conman Sukesh Chandrashekhar is the main accused. The Bench, comprising Justices Dipankar Datta and AG Masih, advised Fernandez to raise her defence before the trial court, making it clear that the current legal landscape—guided by the landmark Vijay Madanlal Choudhary ruling—does not allow for interference at this preliminary stage.

Fernandez’s challenge followed her unsuccessful attempt before the Delhi High Court, which had similarly declined to intervene in the money laundering probe. Senior Advocate Mukul Rohatgi, arguing for Fernandez, stressed that the actor had no role in the underlying extortion case and that gifts sent by Chandrashekhar did not amount to money laundering. The Supreme Court, however, noted that the prosecution’s case alleges a money trail connecting portion of the extorted money to gifts Fernandez received, and clarified that anyone indirectly involved can fall under the ambit of the money laundering law as it stands.

The Bench pointed out that the review petition challenging Vijay Madanlal Choudhary is still pending, but until a new decision is made, the current precedent applies. For Fernandez’s benefit, the Court also ordered that previous observations by the Delhi High Court would not prejudice her defence during trial proceedings.

With this order, scrutiny of Fernandez’s involvement in the case will continue before the trial court, leaving the door open for potential redress if warranted by the outcome of trial or changes in the law.