ED Names Vadra in New Money Laundering Case
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has formally named businessman Robert Vadra as an accused in a money laundering case linked to the fugitive UK-based arms consultant, Sanjay Bhandari. The agency recently filed a supplementary prosecution complaint before a special Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) court in Delhi, marking a significant escalation in the long-running probe into alleged foreign assets and illicit financial dealings.
This complaint is the second money laundering chargesheet filed against Mr. Vadra, the husband of Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, focusing on a case that stems from an Income Tax Department raid on Bhandari in 2016. Bhandari, who subsequently fled to London, has since been declared a Fugitive Economic Offender by a Delhi court.
The core of the ED’s case revolves around a prime property located at 12 Bryanston Square in London. Investigators allege that this property, acquired by Sanjay Bhandari in 2009, was subsequently renovated and beneficially used by Mr. Vadra. The chargesheet claims that funds for the extensive renovation were allegedly provided by Mr. Vadra, and the property was furnished and utilized under his direction, even while the ownership ostensibly changed hands among various individuals linked to Bhandari.
The Enforcement Directorate’s investigation suggests that the London property was essentially a “proceeds of crime” under the anti-money laundering law, and that Mr. Vadra was assisting Bhandari in managing and using this asset. The agency recorded Mr. Vadra’s statement under the PMLA earlier this year, where he was reportedly confronted with evidence gathered from other countries. Officials have indicated that the responses provided were not entirely satisfactory.
It is important to note that Mr. Vadra has consistently and vehemently denied all allegations leveled against him. He has publicly stated that he does not own any property in London, either directly or indirectly. Furthermore, he has repeatedly termed the ongoing investigation a “political witch hunt” designed to “hound and harass” him to fulfill specific political objectives. The court is scheduled to take cognizance of this supplementary prosecution complaint on December 6. This development places Mr. Vadra under heightened legal scrutiny once again. Beyond the London asset case, the ED had previously filed a separate chargesheet against him in July, which relates to alleged financial irregularities in a land deal located in Haryana’s Shikohpur village. The outcome of the Delhi court proceedings will be closely watched, as it carries major political implications in the country’s capital and beyond.
