Rs 200 cr extortion: HC asks EOW to respond to bail plea of Sukesh Chandrasekhar’s aide

PTI, Apr 11, 2023, 1:01 PM IST

The Delhi High Court on Tuesday sought response of the police on a plea by Pinky Irani, a close aide of alleged fraudster Sukesh Chandrasekhar, seeking bail in a Rs 200 crore extortion case.

Justice Dinesh Kumar Sharma issued notice to the Economic Offence Wing (EOW) of the Delhi Police on two separate bail pleas by Irani and jail staffer Sunil Kumar in the case.

The court asked the Delhi Police to file a status report in the matter and listed it for further hearing on May 23.

During the hearing, the Delhi Police counsel said there are a lot of documents and recoveries made in the case and sought four weeks’ time to file the status report.

Both Irani and Kumar have challenged a trial court’s order denying them bail in the case.

The lawyer representing Irani said she has been in custody since her arrest on November 30, 2022 and urged the court to grant her bail.

The EOW, in its supplementary charge sheet filed before a trial court, has alleged that Irani had introduced Chandrasekhar to Bollywood actor Jacqueline Fernandez and was instrumental in disposing of the Rs 200 crore extorted by him.

The charge sheet has alleged that Irani used to portray Chandrasekhar as a business tycoon and was instrumental in facilitating his meetings with certain Bollywood personalities.

The supplementary charge sheet has stated that the police had recorded the statements of several people, including Bollywood actors Fernandez and Nora Fatehi.

Mumbai-based Irani was arrested by the EOW of the Delhi Police in November 2022. Chandrasekhar, who is currently in jail, is accused of cheating many people, including high-profile individuals such as former Fortis Healthcare promoter Shivinder Mohan Singh’s wife Aditi Singh.

Police alleged that Chandrasekhar and his associates reportedly took money from Aditi after posing as government officials and promising to secure bail for her husband who was in jail in a money laundering case.

Chandrasekhar reportedly persuaded Aditi to transfer money by impersonating as a central government official over a spoof call while he was lodged in Rohini jail and promised to manage bail for her husband, it alleged.