Jacqueline Fernandez is not alone: Nora Fatehi, Nikki Tamboli and other women linked to serial conman Sukesh Chandrashekhar

Bollywood actor Jacqueline Fernandez appeared before the Economic Offences Wing of the Delhi Police today in connection with the 200 crore money laundering case linked to conman Sukesh Chandrashekhar.

Chandrashekhar, a multimillionaire serial conman and an accused in a Rs 200 crore money laundering case, is currently imprisoned in a Delhi jail.

Born in Karnataka’s Bengaluru, Chandrashekhar has scammed people by posing as an officer in the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO), a former chief minister’s son, CBI officers and a Supreme Court judge among others, as per Indian Express.

In 2021, former Fortis Healthcare promoter Shivinder Singh’s wife Aditi Singh had registered an FIR with the Delhi Police alleging she was cheated of Rs 200 crore by a man posing as the “law secretary”, who demanded contribution for the “party fund” in exchange for helping with her husband’s cases.

With at least 30 FIRs against him, the conman, who has been imprisoned regularly since 2017, has allegedly carried out many of his crimes from inside jails.

But it is not just his Tinder Swindler-type lifestyle and multi-crore fraud that has thrown Sukesh Chandrashekhar into the limelight, it is also the people associated with him.

Besides Fernandez, Nora Fatehi, Nikki Tamboli, and his alleged aide Pinky Irani, several women’s names have cropped up in connection with the conman.

Here’s a list of the women who have been linked with Sukesh Chandrashekhar.

Jacqueline Fernandez

Last Wednesday, she was grilled for over eight hours along with Pinky Irani, who had allegedly introduced the Kick actor to Chandrashekhar. As per News18, the actor confirmed being in a relationship for six months with Chandrashekhar, however, she claimed she was unaware of his alleged fraudulent activities.

On 17 August, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) filed a chargesheet naming Fernandez as an accused in the money laundering case.

In August, the ED filed a chargesheet naming actor Jacqueline Fernandez as an accused in the money laundering case linked to conman Sukesh Chandrashekhar. News18 File Photo

The ED has also alleged Fernandez has received numerous luxury items during her association with the conman.

She was allegedly gifted luxury cars such as Maserati, Mini Cooper, and a Porsche, as well as designer bags from Gucci and Chanel, News18 reports.

Sources told News18 that the conman also showered the Bollywood actor with 20 pieces of jewellery, 65 pairs of shoes, 47 cloth items, 32 bags, four Persian cats and nine paintings.

As per PTI, Chandrashekhar had offered a motorcycle to Fernandez’s agent Prashant on his birthday, who refused to take it. The conman, however, left the bike and its keys at Prashant’s place. The police had said earlier that the vehicle was seized.

Nora Fatehi

Actor and dancer Nora Fatehi was grilled by the ED on 15 September for five hours in connection with Chandrashekhar’s extortion case.

As per Indian Express, she was questioned alongside her brother-in-law Bobby and Chandrashekhar’s aide Pinky Irani.

“She was questioned earlier too but there were a few unanswered things. The main reason is the common link between her and Fernandez. Both the actresses were introduced to Sukesh by Irani,” an officer was quoted as saying by Indian Express.

As per News18, Fatehi never met Chandrashekhar in person and has only interacted with him via WhatsApp. She was not aware of his illegal activities, an officer said.

Nora Fatehi was grilled by the ED on 15 September for five hours. Firstpost File Photo

After being approached by Pinky, the Street Dancer 3D actor had reportedly attended an event in Chennai for a studio inauguration. Instead of paying a fee, Chandrashekhar’s wife gifted Fatehi an expensive bag and a car, an officer said, as per News18.

The conman repeatedly tried to get in touch with Fatehi after the Chennai event, however, she became suspicious and distanced herself from him, the officer added.

Irani gave the car in question to Fatehi’s brother-in-law in January, which he later “sold”.

The conwoman- Leena Maria Paul

She has acted in several films including Mohanlal-starrer Red Chillies, Madras Café, Husbands in Goa, Cobra, among others.

The ED chargesheet described her as a “master conwoman, strategist and the brain” behind the schemes “devised to launder the proceeds of the crime”.

As per the ED, Paul deleted all evidence as soon as she heard the news of Chandrashekhar’s arrest in the multi-crore extortion case.

In 2013, Chandrasekhar was arrested in Kolkata and Paul in Delhi for allegedly duping a branch of the Canara Bank in Chennai to the tune of Rs 19 crore.

Last month, the couple was shifted to Delhi’s Mandoli jail from Tihar jail on the Supreme Court’s orders.

The aide- Pinky Irani

53-year-old Pinky Irani, who met Chandrashekhar in 2016-17 on Instagram as per reports, was also quizzed by the Economic Offences Wing officials last week.

She has been dubbed as the “personal shopper” for actresses in the ED chargesheet against conman Sukesh Chandrashekhar, Indian Express reported.

Once an anchor on a TV show, Irani, who has connections in the entertainment industry, allegedly contacted models and actresses on the conman’s behalf.

“She would allegedly ask them to meet Sukesh or talk to him on the phone, and also buy expensive gifts for them (from his money),” a source told Indian Express.

Chandrashekhar offered Irani Rs two crore to get him in touch with Fernandez. As per the chargesheet, she had delivered a Tiffany diamond proposal ring, with J and S initials, to the actor on Chandrashekhar’s behalf.

After reports of his illegal activities emerged, Irani was allegedly offered an additional Rs 10 crore to clear the differences between Chandrashekhar and Fernandez.

She also escorted many actresses and models to Delhi’s Tihar jail to introduce them to Chandrashekhar, notes News18.

Pinky Irani, conman Sukesh Chandrashekar’s associate, has reportedly been dubbed as the “personal shopper” for actresses in the ED chargesheet. ANI

He reportedly also tried to influence Bhumi Pednekar, Sara Ali Khan and Jhanvi Kapoor through Irani.

Meanwhile, four more actors/models including Nikki Tamboli, Chahatt Khanna, Sophia Singh and Arusha Patil had met Sukesh Chandrashekhar while he was lodged in Tihar jail through his aide Pinky Irani, reports India Today.

Nikki Tamboli

Shooting to fame with Bigg Boss, Nikki (Nikita) Tamboli reportedly met Sukesh Chandrashekhar in 2018 inside Tihar jail, where he introduced himself as Shekhar.

Of the Rs 10 lakh Irani was paid for introducing the conman to the actor, she later gave Rs 1.5 lakh to Tamboli.

As per media reports, Nikki Tamboli had met Sukesh Chandrashekhar in Tihar jail. News18 File Photo

The first time Tamboli visited Chandrashekhar along with Irani alias ‘Angle’, while the next time she went alone.

He gifted Tamboli a Gucci bag and Rs two lakh in cash during the second visit, reports India Today.

Chahatt Khanna

Irani introduced Bade Achhe Lagte Hain fame actor Chahatt Khanna to the conman as Shekhar Redyy, an owner of a south Indian channel.

“It was further revealed that once in May,2018, Chahatt Khanna met accused Sukesh Chandrashekhar inside the Tihar Jail, Delhi at his office, maintained there, for which the accused Pinky Irani gave her Rs two lakh in cash and a blue colour Versace watch,” India Today cited the ED chargesheet as saying.

Chahatt Khanna, whose name has also cropped up in the conman’s fraud, has said she will present her side in time. News18 Hindi File Photo

After reports of her being linked with the conman surfaced, Khanna told Hindustan Times that she will respond at the right time.

“I will definitely talk, not to defend myself, but to reveal what actually happened. Right now, what the media knows is just half of the whole story,” she said.

Sophia Singh

Lured in a similar manner, actor Sophia Singh met Sukesh Chandrashekhar twice in Tihar jail. She was told he wanted to sign her for a big banner film in the South.

In May 2018, Rs two lakh was deposited into her bank account after her first meeting with the conman. After their second meeting, which was 15 days later, Chandrashekhar gave her an LV bag and Rs 1.5 lakh was credited to her account.

Arusha Patil

Actor Arusha Patil has claimed she never met the conman and was only in touch with him through WhatsApp.

As per her statement to the ED in January, she received Rs 5.20 lakh in December 2020 from Chandrashekhar, out of which she had transferred one lakh to Pinky Irani, reports India Today.

With inputs from agencies

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