Money laundering case: Bollywood actress Nora Fatehi says she’s a ‘victim of the conspiracy’

Bollywood actor Nora Fatehi and Pinky Irani were questioned by the Economic Offences Wing (EOW) of the Delhi Police on Thursday for more than four hours in connection with the Rs2 billion money laundering case involving jailed conman Sukesh Chandrashekhar.

Irani had apparently introduced Bollywood actors Jacqueline Fernandez and Fatehi to Chandrashekhar.

Fatehi claimed in front of the EOW that she was a “victim of the conspiracy and not a conspirator”. She also showed the screenshots of her chats with Chandrashekhar to the police.

During the interrogation, Delhi Police asked Fatehi, who had invited her to the charity event in Tamil Nadu. To this, Fatehi took the name of Afsar Zaidi. She claimed that Zaidi is also the promoter of Exceed Entertainment Private Limited for an event that was organised by Super Car Artistry.

On being asked about who paid for her travel and other expenses, she took the name of Leena Paul, to the “best of her knowledge”, and claimed that she owns Nail Artistry.

When asked about the event, Fatehi called it a “charity” event. The event was held at a 5-Star Banquet in December 2020. Its booking was done through her agency Exceed Entertainment Private Limited and was organised by LS Corporation and Nail Artistry.

The police further told Fatehi about Chandrashekhar’s claim, where he said that Fatehi had insisted on a BMW 5 Series Car for attending the event, a claim which Fatehi denied stating that she was gifted the car instead as a “token of love and generosity”.

Fatehi was further asked about her reply to the BMW offer, to which she said that she refused the offer as she already had a BMW.

She was also asked whether she had met Paul and Irani at the event and if she had received any gifts from them.

Fatehi answered Delhi Police that Leena Paul met her at an event and gifted her a Gucci bag and an iPhone. She also said that Paul connected her call with her husband, who according to Paul was a big fan of Fatehi. As per Fatehi, it was this time only when she was informed that she is being gifted a BMW.

Fatehi also claimed that she received a call from Shekhar alias Chandrashekhar after this, and she gave her cousin’s husband named Bobby’s number to him for future dealings.

When asked, when exactly she found Chandrashekhar suspicious, Fatehi answered that when she started receiving calls and texts regularly from Chandrashekhar, and when he started luring her with gifts, she understood his intentions and broke all relations with him and his managers.

Earlier on Wednesday, Jacqueline Fernandez also appeared before the EOW, where she was interrogated by putting her in front of Pinky Irani. According to sources, Fernandez and Irani engaged in a war of words during the Delhi Police interrogation on Wednesday.

Earlier on September 2, Fatehi was grilled by the EOW officials for over nine hours and was asked roughly around 50 questions.

Police officials said that questioning so far has surfaced that Fatehi and Fernandez who has also been linked with Chandrashekhar, were both unaware of each other receiving gifts.

According to sources, Chandrashekhar initially tried to trick Fatehi only, but once he wasn’t successful in his attempt, he tried his hands on Fernandez.

Not just Fernandez, but as per sources, Chandrashekhar used to lure even those near Fernandez with expensive gifts. He gifted Fernandez’s hair-stylist an iPhone and also booked a hotel in Kochi for her birthday party.

Chandrashekhar has been accused of running an extortion racket worth Rs2 billion when he was lodged in Rohini jail, from Aditi Singh, the wife of jailed former Ranbaxy owner Shivinder Singh, posing as officials from the union law ministry and the PMO, on the pretext of getting her husband out on bail.

Chandrashekhar, a native of Bengaluru in Karnataka, is currently lodged in a Delhi jail and faces over 10 criminal cases registered against him.