Bollywood actor Jacqueline Fernandez on Thursday, 25 June withdrew her special leave petition (SLP) before the Supreme Court, stepping back from her legal challenge against charges framed in the ₹200 crore money laundering case linked to alleged conman Sukesh Chandrashekhar. A bench of Justices B.V. Nagarathna and Joymalya Bagchi permitted the withdrawal when the matter came up for hearing.

What Jacqueline Had Challenged

Through her SLP, Fernandez had contested a Delhi High Court order that refused to quash the Enforcement Directorate's (ED) prosecution complaint against her. She had also challenged the trial court's decision framing charges under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA). By withdrawing the petition, she has effectively allowed those proceedings to stand and will now face trial before the lower court.

The Recusal That Preceded the Hearing

The case had originally been listed before a bench of Justices Prashant Kumar Mishra and Atul S. Chandurkar on 11 June. Justice Mishra recused himself after disclosing that his son had appeared on behalf of the government in a connected matter. 'In one of the connected matters, my son had appeared on behalf of the government. The case must therefore be placed before a different Bench,' Justice Mishra observed, directing that the matter be reassigned. It was subsequently listed before the Nagarathna-Bagchi bench on 25 June.

Where the Trial Stands

Fernandez had earlier appeared before the Patiala House Court on 3 June, pleaded not guilty, and opted to contest the case on merits. The trial court has also framed money laundering charges against Chandrashekhar, his wife Leena Maria Paul, and 14 others, all of whom similarly pleaded not guilty and sought trial. The matter is next listed before the trial court on 16 July.

ED's Allegations and Jacqueline's Position

The ED has alleged that Fernandez received luxury gifts worth approximately ₹7 crore from Chandrashekhar, funded through proceeds of crime. The agency has contended that she remained in regular contact with Chandrashekhar even after allegedly becoming aware of his criminal background and that her conduct during the investigation was 'not satisfactory', with the agency asserting she failed to make a 'full and true disclosure' in statements recorded under Section 50 of the PMLA. Fernandez has consistently maintained that she had no knowledge of Chandrashekhar's alleged criminal activities or the source of the funds used for those gifts.

Background of the Case

The money laundering case stems from allegations that Chandrashekhar cheated the wives of former Ranbaxy promoters Shivinder Singh and Malvinder Singh of nearly ₹200 crore. This withdrawal comes weeks after Fernandez also withdrew a separate application seeking to become an approver in the case — a bid the ED had opposed. With the Supreme Court petition now dropped, the trial is set to proceed before the Patiala House Court.