Money laundering: Court issues notice to Robert Vadra; hearing on Aug 28
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New Delhi: A Delhi court on Saturday issued a notice to businessman Robert Vadra, husband of Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, in connection with the Shikohpur land deal money laundering case.
The notice was issued by the Rouse Avenue Court after it took cognisance of the charge sheet filed by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in the high-profile case. Notices have been served to a total of 11 individuals, including Vadra.
The case revolves around the alleged fraudulent purchase of 3.53 acres of land in Shikohpur village, Gurugram. According to the ED, the proceeds of crime were channelled through several companies allegedly controlled by Vadra.
The charge sheet names Vadra and ten others, and details how the land was initially purchased through questionable means. The ED has so far attached 43 properties linked to Vadra and his firm, M/s Sky Light Hospitality Pvt. Ltd., valued at Rs 37.64 crore.
The origins of the case date back to a First Information Report filed by the Gurugram Police in 2008. The FIR alleged that Vadra’s company purchased land from M/s Onkareshwar Properties Pvt. Ltd. for Rs 7.5 crore using an allegedly false declaration.
Later, in 2012, the same piece of land was sold to DLF Ltd., a prominent real estate developer, for Rs 58 crore. The dramatic escalation in value raised serious questions about the nature and legality of the transaction.
The issue gained further momentum when Ashok Khemka, the then Director General of Land Consolidation and Land Records and Inspector-General of Registration in Haryana, cancelled the land mutation, citing multiple violations of state regulations.
Khemka’s decision sparked a major political controversy and led to intensified legal and administrative scrutiny of land deals involving influential political figures.
Vadra’s legal arguments in the matter will be presented before the court on August 28, the date set for the next hearing.
With IANS inputs
