Jacqueline withdraws plea seeking nod to travel abroad

Bollywood actor Jacqueline Fernandez, accused in a money laundering case, on Thursday withdrew from a Delhi court her plea for permission to go abroad.

The actor told the court about her decision after the judge said the case was at a crucial stage and suggested that the question of charge should first be decided.

Fernandez had sought permission to visit Bahrain from December 23 to January 5 to see her mother.

"You want to meet your mother who suffered stroke in 2021? We all are emotional for our parents, but the case is at a crucial stage...You can withdraw the application and let the question of charge first be decided. Otherwise I will pass a judicial order," Special Judge Shailendra Malik told Fernandez.

Thereafter, the actor had a discussion with her lawyers and informed the court that she was withdrawing her application 'at this stage'.

During the brief arguments, the Enforcement Directorate opposed her plea, saying if she is allowed to go abroad she may not return.

"She is a foreign national. Though she has her career here, but she can make her career somewhere else (also)," the anti-money laundering agency said.

Prior to withdrawing the application, the actor told the court that during the probe she was earlier granted permission to travel abroad. She said the ED had opposed her petition but the Delhi high court allowed it.

"My next date in this case is Jan 6. I will return by Jan 5, even though that's not my turn to argue on 6th. There's no lack of cooperation from me, never was, nor will," her counsel told the court.

Fernandez was earlier permitted by the Delhi high court on May 31 this year to travel abroad for the IIFA awards subject to certain conditions.

The high court had then rejected the ED's appeal against a trial court order permitting her to visit abroad.

The court had on November 15 granted regular bail to the actress, who has not been arrested yet in Rs 200 crore money laundering case also involving alleged conman Sukesh Chandrashekar.

It had on August 31 taken cognizance of a supplementary charge sheet filed by the Enforcement Directorate and asked Fernandez to appear before the court.

Fernandez, who was summoned by the Enforcement Directorate several times in connection with the investigation, was named as an accused for the first time in the supplementary charge sheet.

The ED's earlier charge sheet and a supplementary charge sheet did not mention her as an accused.