ANI file photo
NEW DELHI: A Delhi court on Saturday took note of a supplementary chargesheet filed by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) against Robert Vadra in a money-laundering case linked to alleged arms dealer Sanjay Bhandari, listing the matter for consideration on January 24.Special judge Sushant Changotra also permitted the ED to place on record a consolidated list of documents submitted as part of the fresh supplementary chargesheet.Vadra, 56, has been questioned earlier by the ED in connection with the Bhandari-linked case.Bhandari, who is currently based in the UK, is wanted in India for allegedly receiving kickbacks in defence deals through UAE-registered shell companies.According to investigators, the defence middleman routed substantial funds into overseas shell accounts. He invested in properties in the UAE and the UK between 2009 and 2016, including transactions tied to platforms such as the Pilatus trainer aircraft.The Enforcement Directorate last month filed its second supplementary prosecution complaint in the money-laundering case linked to Bhandari, formally naming Vadra as an accused. Vadra has been protected by an anticipatory bail granted by a Delhi court in 2019.During the hearing, Special Public Prosecutor Naveen Kumar Matta, assisted by Advocate Mohd. Faizan appeared for the ED.According to reports, Vadra’s role has come under scrutiny as part of the broader probe into Bhandari, who is accused of facilitating suspicious financial transactions and benefiting from them, as cited by ANI.Vadra appeared before the agency in July this year, when his statement was recorded under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).The businessman is also facing ED scrutiny in three separate money-laundering cases, including two involving alleged irregularities in land deals. Investigators are examining whether proceeds from these transactions were channelled through offshore entities connected to Bhandari.This is the second money-laundering chargesheet filed against Vadra. In July, the ED had named him in a separate case involving alleged irregularities in a land deal in Shikohpur, Haryana. The agency also filed a chargesheet on April 17 against Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi in the National Herald money-laundering probe.Vadra continues to face scrutiny in multiple ED investigations tied to land transactions carried out during previous Congress governments in Haryana and Rajasthan. He is accused of receiving favourable treatment from the then Haryana administration under former chief minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda, which allegedly enabled the conversion of his land from agricultural to commercial or residential use, resulting in significant financial gains.
