New Delhi: A Delhi court on Monday granted Delhi police 15-day custody of Leena Maria Paul a Malayalam actor and wife of Sukesh Chandrasekhar - the millionaire conman who has been accused of defrauding many people of hundreds of crore of rupees — in extorting money from businessmen.
Delhi Police Economic Offences Wing had arrested Paul, her husband Chandrasekar and one another on Sunday following a complaint filed by Fortis Healthcare promoter Shivinder Singh’s wife Aditi Singh. In her complaint, she alleged Sukesh and his female friend of extortion of Rs 200 crores on the pretext of managing Shivinder Singh's release from the jail. Shivinder is currently in jail in a case of corruption.
Leela Paul is a small-time actor who began her carrier with Mohanlal-starrer ‘Red Chillies’ (2009) and has also shown her talent in several films like ‘Husbands in Goa’ (2012), ‘Cobra’ (2012) and ‘Biriyani’ (2013). She had also strived a minor role in Shoojit Sircar’s ‘Madras Cafe’ as a Tamil rebel.
Apart from her act, she has been in the headlines for involvement in various extortion cases along with her partner Sukesh.
Sukesh Chandrasekar was first arrested in connection with the party symbol case of AIADMK in which he had taken money of Rs 2 crore from TTV Dinakaran.
Chandrashekhar, an accused in the infamous Election Commission (EC) bribery case, is currently lodged in the Rohini jail of the national capital.
The police are interrogating Leela and Sukesh and will present them before court soon.
Leela and case against her
Earlier, Leela along with Chandrasekar was arrested in 2013, for allegedly cheating a Chennai bank f Rs 19 crore. During her arrest, the police had recovered nine expensive cars and 81 expensive wristwatches.
While investigating the case then, police had stated that Chandrasekar had duped several people across Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh by posing himself a grandson of former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M Karunanidhi. He had duped more than Rs 15 crore, promising people government contracts. However, the couple secured bail and relocated to Mumbai.
The duo along with two aides was again arrested in 2015, for their alleged involvement in a scam to the tune of Rs 10 crore. The police had then stated that the couple looted people asking them to pay any amount and they would get at least 20 per cent returns on their investments every month.
Paul again became headlines in 2018 after a shootout at her beauty parlour in Kochi.
Read: Delhi police arrests Sukesh's wife Leena Paul in extortion case
