Published on: 11 July 2023 at 13:38 IST
The bail petition of Leena Maria Paulose, the wife of conman Sukesh Chandrasekhar, along with two other accused, Kamlesh Kothari and B Mohan Raj, was dismissed by the Delhi High Court on Tuesday. The case pertains to a Rs 200 crore extortion scam registered by the Economic Offence Wing (EOW) of Delhi Police. Sukesh Chandrasekhar, Leena Maria Paulose, and several others have been in judicial custody since last year for allegedly defrauding Aditi Singh, the wife of former Ranbaxy promoter Shivinder Singh, of Rs 200 crore.
Justice Dinesh Kumar Sharma dismissed all three bail petitions in the matter. The EOW, in September 2021, had arrested Leena Maria Paulose for allegedly aiding her partner in fraudulent activities. Kamlesh Kothari, a real estate agent who helped the couple purchase a bungalow in Chennai, and B Mohan Raj, a lawyer representing Chandrasekhar, were also implicated in the wrongdoing.
The EOW of Delhi Police had filed a chargesheet in the case, naming 14 accused, including Sukesh Chandrasekhar, Leena Maria Paul, under various sections of the IPC (Indian Penal Code) and the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA). The investigation revealed that the accused had used hawala routes and shell companies to launder the proceeds of their crimes.
The EOW had also registered an FIR against Chandrasekhar for duping the spouses of former Ranbaxy promoters, Shivinder Singh and Malvinder Singh, of Rs 200 crore. The ongoing investigations against him span multiple cases across the country. The prosecution disclosed that Chandrasekhar had deceived Aditi Singh and Japna Singh, wives of the Singh brothers, claiming to be a government official from the Union Law Ministry. They allegedly paid him crores of rupees in exchange for securing bail and ensuring their husbands’ safety.
Both Sukesh Chandrasekhar and his actor wife, Leena Maria Paul, were arrested by the Delhi Police in September 2021 for their involvement in the fraudulent activities.
