A DELHI court has extended the custodial interrogation of actor Leena Maria Paul till October 16 in a money laundering case related to extortion of Rs 200 crore from a businessman’s wife here. Special Judge Parveen Singh also extended the ED custody of Paul’s husband Sukesh Chandrasekhar, an accused in 21 cases, by 11 days after the couple were produced before the court on October 12 on expiry of their 3-day custodial interrogation granted earlier. The couple allegedly duped former Fortis Healthcare promoter Shivinder Mohan Singh’s wife Aditi Singh. The probe agency had sought the extension of couple’s custody by 11 days each.

 

“After perusing the record, I find that to establish the money trail of the proceeds of crime and to confront the accused with the statements of other accused, further custodial interrogation of the accused is required. However, I do not find any grounds for sending accused Leena Maria Paul to ED custody for 11 days,” the judge said. The application, moved by ED’s special public prosecutor Atul Tripathi, claimed that further custodial interrogation of the accused was essential to determine the role of various other persons who facilitated the offence of money laundering.