In August 2025, actor-influencer-cosmetologist Sandeepa Virk, with over 1 million followers, was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in an alleged money laundering case amounting to approximately ₹6 crore. She was granted bail by the Delhi High Court in 2025 after spending over four months in Tihar jail. Talking to Simran Jot Makkar, Sandeepa claimed that she prayed for death while in jail and claimed her innocence.
Sandeepa Virk says she wouldn’t wish jail on her enemy
When asked what her time in Tihar jail was like, Sandeepa got emotional and stated that Tihar is the kind of place she wouldn’t wish on her enemy. She stated that she kept questioning God and herself about what she had done to deserve it, chalking it down to karma.
She also stated that she would feel the worst when her parents came to meet her. “I used to pray that death should come and take me away. The worst feeling is when your parents meet you inside jail. I even apologised to them for having to come there because of me. My parents and siblings stood by me because your own people know who you are,” said Sandeepa.
Sandeepa also called life in incarceration mentally and physically draining, claiming it affected her health so much, she couldn’t even stand without help. The actor-influencer stated that prisoners sleep on the floor, the washrooms are filthy and described the food as terrible. She also claimed that while some policewomen were kind, others took out their frustration on the inmates.
Being distanced from the film industry
Sandeepa’s IMDb profile shows that she has appeared in web series such as Honey Trap Squad and films including Ajith Kumar’s Mankatha and Mohanlal’s Shikkar. She says that when news of her alleged fraud emerged, people treated her worse than a murderer, claiming that she was innocent.
The actor also stated that relationships in the film industry shifted after her arrest. “They unfollowed me; it doesn’t matter. Earlier too, some big producers would say, Sandeepa, I can make you this or that’ I used to reply, the one who made you will make me too. No human can make someone. At best, they can help,” she said.
Sandeepa Virk’s alleged money laundering case
Sandeep was arrested by the ED on August 14, 2025, and released on bail by the Delhi HC on December 27, 2025. The court noted that she had already spent over four months in custody and that the trial was unlikely to progress soon, as the main accused in the case, Amit Gupta, remains absconding.
She was accused of allegedly receiving proceeds of ₹1.03 crore in a crime linked to an investment scam. The complainant was promised a lead role in a film and asked to invest approximately ₹6 crore, according to PTI. The ED also alleged that funds were routed through her accounts and linked to property acquisitions and an e-commerce platform. The allegations relate to transactions from 2008 to 2013.