Nora Fatehi: No Fee for Chennai Event in Rs 200 Crore Case

Nora Fatehi appeared before Delhi’s Rouse Avenue Court on Friday as a prosecution witness in the Rs 200 crore extortion case against Sukesh Chandrashekhar. Special Judge Gagandeep Singh recorded her examination-in-chief, led by Special Public Prosecutor Akhand Pratap Singh, and the court has adjourned further examination until November 30.

What Nora told the court about the Chennai event

Fatehi said she was booked through an agency called Exceed Entertainment for a Chennai event in December 2020. Leena Maria Paulose, wife of Sukesh Chandrashekhar, was the organiser. The actor said she met Leena in person for the first time at the venue.

According to Fatehi’s account, while she was getting ready, her team said Leena and her family wanted to meet her. Leena entered the room with two videographers, a few other people and some gifts. She introduced herself as the owner of the Nail Artistry Salon and photographs were taken.

Fatehi said Leena then mentioned that her husband wanted to say hello and thank her for coming. The phone was put on speaker, and Leena’s husband said “Thank you for coming,” according to Fatehi. During the same conversation, Fatehi said, Leena offered a car as a gift and her husband asked the actor to accept it.

The payment question

After the room meeting, Fatehi said she went to the event, appeared as the chief guest and judged it. But she told the court she was not paid for the appearance. Her flight and her staff’s travel costs were covered.

“T-Series at that point of time was my employer,” Fatehi said in court.

That distinction is significant for fans and industry insiders alike: travel and logistics are not the same as a contracted performance fee, and an event booking can leave a paper trail long after the stage lights go down.

The case behind the testimony

The larger case alleges that Sukesh Chandrashekhar, while lodged at Delhi’s Rohini Jail, posed as senior government officials and took about Rs 200 crore from Aditi Singh, wife of former Ranbaxy promoter Shivinder Mohan Singh, during 2020-21. He allegedly promised to get her husband out of jail in return. The Delhi Police Economic Offences Wing investigated and filed a chargesheet under the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act, or MCOCA.

Fatehi was earlier questioned by the EOW, and police recorded her statement under Section 164 of the CrPC. She was later listed as a prosecution witness in the supplementary chargesheet. She has not been named as an accused.

Key points from her testimony

• She was booked through Exceed Entertainment for a December 2020 Chennai event.
• Leena Maria Paulose was the organiser; Fatehi met her for the first time at the venue.
• The actor says she attended as chief guest and judged the event.
• She received no appearance fee, though flight and staff travel costs were covered.

Why it matters

For fans, the testimony is a rare window into how a celebrity’s ordinary event appearance can become part of a high-profile criminal trial. For talent managers, it is a practical reminder to verify the organiser, document the commercial terms, and keep written records of any meeting where gifts or vehicles are offered. Hospitality is not the same as a fee.

What happens next

The court has deferred further examination to November 30. Legal watchers will be listening for whether Fatehi’s account supports the prosecution’s chain around the Chennai event and her contact with Sukesh and Leena.

Source: The Times of India