Sukesh Chandrashekhar played with my emotions, made my life hell: Jacqueline Fernandez
New Delhi, Jan 18, 2023, IANS
Actor Jacqueline Fernandez on Wednesday told a Delhi court in the Rs 200 crore extortion case involving conman Sukesh Chandrashekhar, that he had played with her emotions and made her life "hell".
In the case being heard in the Patiala House courts, she claimed that her instincts told her that she is being taken for a ride when his aide Pinky Irani introduced him to her as "a government official".
According to Jacqueline's statement, he had introduced himself as the owner of Sun TV and claimed (late Tamil Nadu Chief Minister) J. Jayalalithaa was his aunt.
"Chandrashekhar said he was a big fan, and said I should do films in south India too, and as the owner of Sun TV, they had many projects lined up. We should try to work together in south Indian movies.
"Sukesh misled me, ruined my career and my livelihood," she said.
Jacqueline said that she only later got to know he was arrested for impersonating senior officials of the Home and the Law Ministries.
She claimed that she got to know that his real name only after she got aware of his criminal background.
The actor said that she was cheated by Irani as she never disclosed his background to her.
"Pinky Irani was aware of Chandrashekhar's activity and background. But she never disclosed this to me," she said.
The same court, on January 16, had issued notice to Enforcement Directorate (ED) on an application moved by the actor asking permission to fly to Dubai post January 27 for professional work.
She had made an urgent request for hearing. The court, hence, listed the matter for next hearing on January 25.
Jacqueline, in December last year, had moved a plea seeking to travel abroad to visit her ill mother in Bahrain. Howbeit, she withdrew it as the court wasn't willing to allow her to travel abroad.
Chandrashekhar allegedly extorted money from politicians, celebrities and businessmen. He duped former pharma company Ranbaxy owner Shivinder Mohan Singh's wife Aditi Singh of Rs 200 crore.
He had allegedly sent super expensive gifts to Jacqueline, while he also booked a chartered flight for her from Mumbai to Chennai during his bail period.
Moreover, according to the ED, it is suspected that alleged conman had sent huge chunks of money extorted from Singh to her.