A Delhi court on Saturday acknowledged a fresh supplementary chargesheet submitted by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) against businessman Robert Vadra in a high-profile money-laundering investigation. The case is connected to alleged arms dealer Sanjay Bhandari. Special judge Sushant Changotra listed the matter for further consideration on January 24.
Court Proceedings and ED's Submission
During the hearing, the court permitted the federal probe agency to formally place on record a consolidated list of documents that are part of the new supplementary prosecution complaint. Appearing for the ED, Special Public Prosecutor Naveen Kumar Matta, assisted by Advocate Mohd. Faizan, presented the agency's case.
This marks the second supplementary chargesheet filed by the ED in this specific money-laundering probe linked to Bhandari. It formally names Vadra, 56, as an accused. Vadra has previously been questioned by the agency, and his statement was recorded under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) in July this year.
The Sanjay Bhandari Connection and Broader Probe
The case revolves around the activities of Sanjay Bhandari, a defence middleman currently based in the United Kingdom. Bhandari is wanted in India on allegations of receiving kickbacks in defence deals through UAE-registered shell companies.
Investigators allege that Bhandari routed substantial funds into overseas shell accounts. These funds were reportedly used to invest in properties in the UAE and the UK between 2009 and 2016. The transactions under scrutiny are tied to defence platforms, including the Pilatus trainer aircraft deal.
Vadra's role has come under the scanner as part of this broader investigation. The probe is examining whether he benefited from suspicious financial transactions facilitated by Bhandari.
Vadra's Legal Shield and Other Investigations
Robert Vadra has been protected by an anticipatory bail granted by a Delhi court back in 2019. However, he continues to face intense scrutiny from the ED in multiple cases.
This is the second money-laundering chargesheet filed against him. In July, the ED named him in a separate case involving alleged irregularities in a land deal in Shikohpur, Haryana. Overall, Vadra is facing ED probes in three separate money-laundering cases, with two involving alleged irregularities in land transactions.
Investigators are examining whether proceeds from these land deals were channelled through offshore entities connected to Sanjay Bhandari. The allegations suggest Vadra received favourable treatment from the previous Congress government in Haryana under then Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda. This allegedly enabled the conversion of his land from agricultural to commercial or residential use, leading to significant financial gains.
The ED's action against Vadra is part of a series of high-profile probes, which also includes the filing of a chargesheet on April 17 against Congress leaders Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi in the National Herald money-laundering case.
