Court allows Jacqueline Fernandez to travel to Dubai, notes her film's Oscar nomination
New Delhi, Jan 27: Actor Jacqueline Fernandez, whose film 'Tell It Like a Woman' has been nominated for the Oscars, was on Friday granted permission by a Delhi court to travel abroad.
Fernandez, an accused in a Rs 200 crore money laundering case also involving alleged conman Sukesh Chandrasekhar, had sought the court's permission to travel to Dubai for three days.
Noting her advocate's submission that the actor's film was nominated for the prestigious award, Additional Sessions Judge Shailender Malik said "unnecessary restrictions" should not be imposed on her.
Her Hollywood film was recently nominated in the Best Original Song category.
"...Applicant or accused is permitted to travel abroad from January 27 to January 30 for the Annual Bottler Conference in Dubai," the judge said.
The court imposed several conditions, including the actor depositing a fixed deposit receipt (FDR) of Rs 1 crore along with an undertaking that in case of her non-return, it will be forfeited in favour of the Enforcement Directorate along with surety of Rs one crore.
Fernandez has to submit her itinerary, place of stay and contact number, besides informing the ED on her return and not tampering with evidence or investigation in any manner, the court said.
"It is made clear that the look out circular (LOC) against the applicant issued in this case shall stand suspended during the aforesaid period. Passport of the applicant, if deposited, be released to her and she is directed to re-deposit the same with the court upon her return from Dubai," the court said.
Noting that the actor had complied with all the terms and conditions, the court said the ED had expressed an apprehension about Fernandez visiting a country where the agency was carrying out further investigations.
The court said it was not a valid reason to deprive the applicant of the travel and the agency could track her movements.
"This court is very much conscious that the case is at the crucial stage when the matter is being heard on the point of charge and the case involves a very high stake in the sense that there are very serious allegations made against the accused persons including the applicant," the court said.
It, however, said this fact in itself could not be a reason to stop her from travelling abroad.
The court noted that rather than a personal visit, the actor was undertaking foreign travel to fulfil her professional commitments.
"More particularly when it is pointed out by counsel for the accused that on account of her acting career the accused has been nominated in the prestigious Oscars Award. In such a situation it is all the more necessary for the sake of the pride of the country that unnecessary restrictions may not be imposed unless it is required for the accused," the court said.
It said Fernandez was supposed to participate as an actress or performer in a concert to be organised at the Annual Bottler Conference in Dubai.
"No doubt the accused is facing prosecution herein in ED matter, however at the same time her personal liberty to travel cannot be curtailed which would adversely affect her career as an actress," the court said.
It also noted that earlier the Delhi High Court had upheld the order of a trial court dated May 28, 2022 permitting the actor to travel abroad.
"At that time such order was passed when ED's investigation was still going on. It is thereafter ED had filed the supplementary complaint arraigning the applicant as accused no. 10 and the accused was granted bail subject to certain conditions," the court said.
"Judgments relied upon counsel for the accused also recognize that aspect to the effect that when conditions can be imposed for ensuring accused's presence, there is no necessity in the law to restrain the accused facing prosecution not to travel abroad," the court added.
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ED arrests Sandeepa Virk, 'cosmetologist' for alleged money laundering
New Delhi, Aug 13 (PTI): The Enforcement Directorate said on Wednesday it has arrested a woman, who claims to be an actor and a cosmetologist, under the anti-money laundering law in a case of alleged fraud and misrepresentation.
The agency said the purported links of the woman, Sandeepa Virk, with a Reliance Group executive, Angarai Natarajan Sethuraman (President, Corporate Affairs), are also under its scanner. Sethuraman, in a statement, denied any connection with Virk or any transactions related to her.
Virk was taken into custody under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) on Tuesday after searches were conducted against her and her associates in Delhi and Mumbai over the last two days.
A special court sent her to the ED's custody till August 14, the agency said. The woman claims to be the owner of a skin care products selling website named hyboocare.com, which the ED claimed was a "front" for money laundering.
She and her associates are being probed for allegedly exerting undue influence through "misrepresentation" and "defrauding" individuals by soliciting money under false pretences.
According to an Instagram ID of Virk, she is an actor and entrepreneur and the founder of the said website.
The federal agency said in a statement that the woman was also "in touch with" Sethuraman, former director of erstwhile Reliance Capital Limited.
She was communicating with him regarding "illegal liaisoning", the ED claimed, adding that the searches at Sethuraman's residence "confirmed" these allegations.
"Besides, diversion of funds for personal benefit has also been unearthed during the course of the search action," it said.
The ED alleged that public money worth about Rs 18 crore belonging to Reliance Commercial Finance Limited (RCFL) was disbursed to Sethuraman in 2018 by "flouting" prudent lending norms.
The funds were lent under terms that allowed a deferment of the principal amount as well as the interest, with multiple waivers granted and no due diligence conducted, it said.
The ED claimed that besides this, a home loan of Rs 22 crore was provided by Reliance Capital Limited by "violating" the prudential norms. "A large part of these loans are seen to have been eventually siphoned off and remained unpaid," it alleged.
Sethuraman, in a statement, dismissed the allegations as "baseless". He denied any connection with Virk or any transactions related to her.
Detailing about Virk's web portal, the agency said it purportedly sold FDA-approved beauty products. However, the ED said the products listed on the website have been found to be non-existent and the portal lacks a user registration option and is plagued by persistent payment gateway issues.
A scrutiny of the website uncovered minimal social-media engagement, an inactive WhatsApp contact number and an absence of transparent organisational details, all of which reinforce the finding of "non-genuine" commercial activity, the ED claimed.
"These factors, including limited product range, inflated pricing, false claims of FDA approval and technical inconsistencies, indicate that the website serves as a front for laundering funds," it said.
Another social media-hosted bio data of the woman said she is a certified cosmetologist.
The ED said several "incriminating" documents were seized during the searches and the statement of a man named Farrukh Ali, stated to be an associate of Virk, was recorded.
The money-laundering case stems from an FIR lodged by the Punjab Police.
Sethuraman said that the home loan he received from Reliance Capital was granted following due process and was secured by the property offered as collateral.
