The Delhi High Court on Wednesday directed the Delhi Police to submit its response to a petition filed by Pinky Irani, an associate of alleged fraudster Sukesh Chandrasekhar, who is challenging the charges framed against her in a Rs 200 crore extortion case.
Justice Madhu Jain issued notices to the law enforcement agency regarding Irani’s revision petition, which contests the trial court’s order. The court granted the Delhi Police two weeks to file their reply. Additionally, the bench issued a notice on Irani’s application seeking a stay on the trial court’s proceedings, scheduling the next hearing for September 10.
During the proceedings, Irani’s counsel argued that the charges against her were unfounded, specifically contending that there was no basis to apply the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA) in her case. The defense maintained that MCOCA charges can only be brought when there is an underlying Indian Penal Code (IPC) offence, which they argued does not apply to Irani. Senior counsel representing the Delhi Police opposed the petition and requested time to submit a response.
Charges Framed Under Organised Crime Act
The petition follows a June 3 ruling by a trial court that ordered the framing of charges against Chandrasekhar, Irani, and 19 others. The charges involve multiple offences, including cheating, extortion, criminal conspiracy, impersonating a public servant, criminal intimidation, and violations of both the Information Technology Act and MCOCA. MCOCA, a stringent law enacted in 1999 to combat organized crime and terrorism, grants authorities expanded powers to intercept, track, and penalize syndicate activities. Irani was previously granted bail by the high court on October 20, 2023.
Role in Alleged Rs 200 Crore Syndicate
According to the police charge sheet, Irani allegedly helped Chandrasekhar by presenting him as a wealthy business tycoon and organizing his meetings with high-profile Bollywood personalities. As part of the investigation, police recorded statements from several individuals, including actors Jacqueline Fernandez and Nora Fatehi.
The primary accused, Chandrasekhar, who remains in custody, is accused of defrauding several wealthy individuals. Among them is Aditi Singh, the wife of former Fortis Healthcare promoter Shivinder Mohan Singh. Investigators allege that Chandrasekhar, while held in Rohini jail, used spoofed phone calls to pose as a central government official. He allegedly convinced Aditi Singh to transfer money by promising to secure bail for her husband, who was imprisoned in connection with a money laundering case.
