₹200 Crore Money Laundering Case: Delhi Court Grants NOC To Jacqueline Fernandez For Renewing Work Visa

A Delhi Court has granted no objection certificate (NOC) to Bollywood actress Jacqueline Fernandez for renewing her work visa.

She is facing charges in a Rs. 200 crores money laundering case involving alleged conman Sukesh Chandrasekhar.

Special Judge Gagandeep Singh of Rouse Avenue Courts directed the authority concerned to consider the actress' application independently as per applicable law and bye-laws.

“….the NOC is given to applicant/accused Jacqueline Fernandez to apply for renewal of her Visa with the concerned authorities as per law and the authority concerned shall consider the same independently as per law/Rules/Circular/Bye-laws applicable,” the judge ordered.

The actress had approached the Court, stating that she is a Sri Lankan national and has been residing in India since 2009 on an Employment Visa and that her current Visa has expired.

She contended that she is actively engaged in the entertainment industry and has several professional commitments lined up in India.

It was submitted that her passport was released to her for its re-issuance by the Sri Lankan Consulate and thus, permission was sought for applying the renewal of her work visa with the concerned authority. Her counsel told Court that the FRRO was not renewing the work visa without NOC from the Court.

The SPP appearing for Enforcement Directorate (ED) submitted that order may be passed in terms of a previous order passed in March last year, with the directions that the FRRO to consider the renewal application as per their rules and guidelines.

The actress was summoned by ED several times and was named as a co-accused for the first time in a supplementary chargesheet. She was arraigned as the tenth accused in the case.

In July last year, the Delhi High Court had dismissed her plea seeking quashing of the PMLA case, observing that her apprehension that any evidence would be self-incriminating cannot lead to quashing of the ECIR as statutory and constitutional protections are already provided and will have to be assessed in that rubric. 

In September last year, her SLP against the High Court's dismissal was rejected by the Supreme Court. She was given liberty to approach the Court at appropriate stage.