Back in 2010, when Sukesh Chandrasekhar met Leena Maria Paul in Chennai, they were both in their 20s. At the time, Leena Paul was an upcoming actor doing small-time roles in Telugu and Tamil films and Chandrasekhar had just entered the high-flying social circles of Chennai.
Within months, according to Chennai police, the couple fell in love. What kept them going, however, was a series of imaginative con jobs – hustles worth crores of rupees – investigations into which are going on even as Chandrasekhar is lodged in New Delhi's Rohini prison complex.
Chandrasekhar had reportedly masterminded a Rs 200 crore con targeting Aditi S Singh, wife of former Fortis promoter Shivinder Singh. More recent investigations into the case reveal that he may have also conned actor Jacqueline Fernandez, among other Bollywood personalities. The Fortis case – latest among the cases of financial fraud levelled against Chandrasekhar – was reported on 7 August 2021.
The Chennai Hustle
Sukesh Chandrasekhar is a native of Bengaluru and Leena Paul hails from Kottayam, Kerala. However, the earliest financial crime, which brought both onto the police radar, allegedly took place in Chennai in 2013, three years after the two first met.
Here’s how Chennai police busted the con artists.
“The duo was known in Chennai’s socialite circles. They had built contacts among popular personalities in politics and cinema. While we suspect they could have engaged in smaller cons in the past, the Canara Bank cheating case was their first big bust,” said a senior police official of Chennai Crime Station. In 2013, the duo was questioned for conning the manager of Canara Bank's Ambattur branch in Chennai, to the tune of Rs 19 crore.
“They convinced bank officials that huge investments would flow in if they were allotted a hefty loan through fraudulent accounts. The bank officials fell for the con as the duo used their social connections to convince them of imminent investment,” the official said.
In Chennai, Chandrasekhar had posed as a relative of former Chief Minister M Karunanidhi.
While Paul was questioned in the case, Chandrasekhar was arrested. He was also accused of extorting Rs 76 lakh by impersonating a civil servant. Both cases are still pending trial.
Why was Leena Paul let off?
“While her involvement in the con was well known, with several witnesses testifying to her presence during the Canara Bank deal, Leena Paul had not, prima facie, benefited from the financial transactions. The end receiver of most of the money was Chandrasekhar,” the officer said. Chandrasekhar was also an easy target for police as he was wanted in another con that he had allegedly committed in Bengaluru at the time.
Bengaluru Con Busted
In Bengaluru, where he had a strong base since 2005, Chandrasekhar was the wanted kingpin behind several con jobs. Between 2005 and 2010, he was known to have cheated Rs 100 crore from several job aspirants.
“Here he posed as the secretary of a senior political leader and minister to execute cons. As per our records, he had promised government jobs to close to 35 people from whom he exacted hefty bribes,” a senior official of Central Crime Branch, Bengaluru said.
In Bengaluru however, Chandrasekhar did not have a trusted team of con artists to support him.
“He used the help of several people, some of whom had turned against him. He could sustain cons in Karnataka only because his modus operandi was to leave very little trace behind. He targeted those who already had some illegal deals,” the official said.
While in Bengaluru, Chandrasekhar had posed as a relative of former chief ministers HD Kumaraswamy and BS Yediyurappa.
In 2011, the Bengaluru police zeroed in on him, when three complaints about Chandrasekhar’s fraud reached them directly. By then, he had shifted base to Chennai and was in alleged cahoots with Paul.
Was it the lack of a permanent accomplice that led him to Leena Paul?
Connections That Span Five States
“While he shifted base from Bengaluru to Chennai, Leena’s connections kept his cons in circulation in Andhra Pradesh, Telangana and Kerala. Together they ruled the roost for ten years in five states in south India,” said the Chennai Crime Station official.
Paul, who had acted in Malayalam movies has investments in Kochi, Kerala where a beauty saloon operates in her name.
In Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, both Paul and Chandrasekhar had connections.
In Hyderabad’s posh residential area, Jubilee Hills, Chandrasekhar even rented a home where Paul was a frequent visitor, Chennai police allege.
In Chennai, the couple together own a beachfront luxurious bungalow. “In 2013, 2017 and this year, we have held searches at their Chennai beach residence,” the official said.
In 2017, the residential property was searched when Chandrasekhar was arrested for conning Tamil Nadu political leader TTV Dhinakaran.
The conman had promised Dhinakaran an election symbol, two leaves, that belongs to the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK). Dhinakaran was expelled from AIADMK in 2017. Chandrasekhar promised to bribe the Election Commission to allocate the symbol to Dhinakaran’s party Amma Makkal Munnetra Kazhagam (AMMK). He allegedly embezzled Rs 50 crore from Dhinakaran.
When the case came to light in 2017, Chandrasekhar was arrested and sent to New Delhi's Tihar jail. Enforcement Directorate investigated the case.
The same year, a shootout was reported at the beauty saloon owned by Leena Paul in Kochi. An investigation that followed the shootout revealed the hand of don Ravi Pujari in it. Pujari is believed to have targeted Paul because of her connection with Chandrasekhar.
From 2017 to 2021, Chandrasekhar carried out his operations from inside prison, the Enforcement Directorate now alleges. He orchestrated the Aditi Singh con worth Rs 200 crore from within Tihar jail via cell phone calls, ED claims.
Leena Paul Too Under ED Scanner
While the Enforcement Directorate has zeroed in on five persons, including two jail officials, for allegedly helping Chandrasekhar, Chennai police officials say that Leena Paul is also not exempted from the investigation.
“ED had contacted Chennai police for information on our case records and we have shared the relevant material with them. The investigation is expected to reveal Leena’s hand in the latest con. It is highly unlikely for her to be exempted from questioning,” the Chennai officer said.
ED’s media release refers to Chandrasekhar and Leena Paul’s apartment as a luxury resort that has an accompaniment of 16 high-end luxury cars, including a Rolls-Royce Ghost, which has on 'on-road' price of Rs 8 crores in India!
The couple also led a high-end luxury life. At the Chennai residence accessories of several high-end brands, including Louis Vuitton and Chanel, were found.
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