Bollywood actor Jacqueline Fernandez has taken a significant legal step by moving a Delhi court to turn approver in the high-profile ₹200 crore money laundering case involving alleged conman Sukesh Chandrashekhar. On Friday, Additional Sessions Judge Prashant Sharma of the Patiala House Courts took her application on record and issued a notice to the Enforcement Directorate (ED), seeking its response by April 20, 2026. This move marks a pivotal shift in the actor's legal strategy as the trial approaches the stage of arguments on charges.
The application for pardon and permission to turn approver implies that Fernandez is willing to provide a full and true disclosure of the facts within her knowledge concerning the case. If the court and the ED accept her plea, she would transition from being a co-accused to a prosecution witness. In exchange for her testimony and cooperation in the investigation, she could potentially receive a pardon or a significantly reduced sentence, altering the trajectory of the long-standing legal battle.
The core of the ED's case involves allegations that Sukesh Chandrashekhar extorted approximately ₹200 crore from Aditi Singh, the wife of former Ranbaxy promoter Shivinder Singh, by impersonating a high-ranking government official. The agency has alleged that a portion of these "proceeds of crime" was used to purchase expensive gifts for Fernandez, valued at over ₹7 crore. Until now, Fernandez has consistently maintained her innocence, arguing that she was a victim of Chandrashekhar's deceptive tactics and was unaware of the illicit source of the gifts.
Legal experts note that this development follows the rejection of her earlier pleas to quash the Enforcement Case Information Report (ECIR) by both the Delhi High Court and the Supreme Court. Having exhausted those remedies, the move to turn approver suggests a pragmatic approach to navigating the supplementary charge sheet where she was first named as an accused. By offering "material information," she aims to assist the prosecution in unraveling the complex web of shell companies and hawala channels allegedly used to route the extorted funds.
During Friday's proceedings, the court clarified the procedural requirements for such a transition. Fernandez has been directed to follow the formal legal process, which includes officially approaching the ED. The central agency will then be tasked with recording her statement under Section 50 of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) to evaluate the value of her testimony before the court makes a final determination on her status as an approver.
The defense has previously argued that Fernandez is actually a witness in the "predicate offence"—the original Delhi Police case regarding the extortion—and that it is contradictory to treat her as an accused in the resulting money laundering investigation. By seeking to turn approver, the actor appears to be bridging this gap, aligning her position with the prosecution to support the broader investigation into Chandrashekhar’s organized crime syndicate, which also involves his wife, Leena Paulose.
This "big twist" comes at a time when Chandrashekhar remains in judicial custody, facing dozens of fraud cases across the country. Interestingly, just weeks prior, another Delhi court had acquitted him in a separate 2017 money laundering case related to the AIADMK bribery scandal. However, the current ₹200 crore case remains the most high-profile challenge for both him and the various film personalities who were allegedly drawn into his network.
As the court awaits the ED's response on April 20, the focus remains on whether the agency will support her request. If allowed, her testimony could prove crucial in establishing the intent and the flow of funds, providing the "missing links" the prosecution needs for a conviction. For Fernandez, the outcome of this application will determine whether she faces the rigors of a criminal trial as a defendant or assists the state as a protected witness.