Mumbai: In its supplementary charge-sheet filed on Jan 16, the Delhi police’s Economic Offences Wing (EOW) has described in detail how Mumbai-based Pinky Irani, a close aide to suspected conman Sukesh Chandrashekhar, helped the latter in meeting with Jacqueline Fernandez, among other celebrities.
The EOW alleged that Irani played a key role in disposing of Rs200 crore extorted by Chandrasekhar from Aditi Singh, the wife of Shivinder Mohan Singh, the former owner of pharma major Ranbaxy.
Chandrasekhar is accused of impersonating top government officials and siphoning off the money from Mrs Singh with the promise of securing the release of her husband who was in jail in a money laundering case.
The charge-sheet said that it was in Jan 2021 when Chandrashekhar – who is currently incarcerated in a Delhi prison in Rs200 crore fraud – asked Irani to approach Fernandez as he was interested in the actress. He had even offered Rs2 crore to Irani if she could introduce him to the actress.
Upon his insistence, Irani had approached Fernandez’s makeup artist and met him at a five-star suburban hotel. She even facilitated a phone call between both of them. Thereafter, Chandrashekhar began showering expensive gifts, including designer watches, mobiles, bags, shoes on the artists and Fernandez.
The charge-sheet further said that Irani shopped these costly items for the actress at Chandrashekhar's behest. She would go to fancy showrooms where Chandrashekhar would contact her via video-calls to choose and order articles. He had allegedly spent a substantial part of the crime proceeds of the case for purchasing properties, luxury cars, for chartered flights, hawala transactions, etc, for getting friendly to Bollywood celebrities.
According to the EOW, when Chandrashekhar and the actress had allegedly developed differences around Valentine’s Day in 2021, he had asked Irani to meet her and sort out the problem in exchange for Rs10 crore. He even offered to pay Rs8,000-10,000 on daily basis for delivering articles and hiring high-end cars.
Filed before an additional sessions judge, the charge-sheet also said that the police have recorded the witness statements of several people, including Bollywood actresses Fernandez and Nora Fatehi. Irani was arrested by the EOW in Nov, 2022.
Charge-sheet says…
Jan '21: Sukesh says to Irani he is interested in Fernandez
Insists upon setting up a meeting
Irani approaches makeup artist of Fernandez
Sukesh then gives expensive gifts to Fernandez
Differences crop up between Sukesh, Fernandez
Sukesh offers Irani Rs10 crore for mediation
