Sukesh Chandrashekhar case: Jacqueline, Nora Fatehi grilled, These 4 actors next?
A day after Bollywood actor Jacqueline Fernandez was quizzed by the Economic Offences Wing (of Delhi Police) for over eight hours in connection with an extortion case linked to jailed conman Sukesh Chandrashekhar, actor Nora Fatehi turned up for questioning in the same case.
Wednesday was Jaqueline’s third summons; she did not appear at both the earlier calls – August 29 and September 12. The Enforcement Directorate – which has also questioned the actor – recorded her statements on August 30 and October 20 last year, at which time she admitted to having received gifts from Sukesh Chandrashekhar.
Apart from Jacqueline Fernandez and Nora Fatehi, four other actors are also involved in the case. All four allegedly went to Delhi’s Tihar Jail to meet the conman via his associate Pinky Irani. Already questioned by the ED, all four will likely also be questioned by the EOW.
Who are these 4 actors?
1. Nikita Tamboli
Nikita Tamboli – works primarily in Telugu and Tamil cinema, and Hindi television – rose to fame after her appearance on reality show Big Boss. Media reports say she told officials Pinky Irani introduced her to Sukesh Chandrasekhar, who called himsel Shekhar.
Tamboli allegedly met Sukesh twice while he was in jail.
2. Chahatt Khanna
Television actor Chahatt Khanna – known for playing ‘Ayesha’ in ‘Bade Achhe Lagte Hain’ from 2011 to 2015 – told the ED she too was introduced to Sukesh Chandrasekhar by Pinky Irani; to her Sukesh Chandrasekhar posed as a south Indian movie producer.
3. Sophia Singh
According to India Today, television actor Sophia Singh was also approached by Pinky Irani on the pretext of a film opportunity with ‘renowned south Indian producer Shekhar.
4. Arusha Patil
Arusha Patel Arusha said she had never met Sukesh Chandrasekhar but spoke to him via WhatsApp, for which she was given ₹5.2 lakh, Livehindustan reported, of which she gave ₹1 lakh to Pinky Irani.
Sukesh Chandrashekhar has been accused – by Aditi Singh, the wife of jailed former Ranbaxy owner Shivinder Singh – of running an extortion racket worth ₹200 crore from jail.
He and his associates swindled money from Aditi Singh by posing as officials from the union law ministry and the prime minister’s office and on the pretext of bail for her husband.
Sukesh Chandrashekhar, a native of Bengaluru in Karnataka, is currently lodged in a Delhi jail and faces over 10 criminal cases.