The Rouse Avenue Court of Delhi on December 20, reserved the order on cognizance point on supplementary prosecution complaint (Chargesheet) recently filed in a money laundering case related to controversial Arms Dealer Sanjay Bhandari and others.
The Special Judge Neelofer Abida Parveen, while keeping the order reserved fixed December 21, 2023, for passing for order on summoning against freshly named two businessmen as accused in the case.
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) apprised the court that this chargesheet has made UAE-based businessman CC Thumpi and UK-based businessman Sumit Chaddha (a relative of Sanjay Bhandhari) fresh accused in the case.
Sanjay Bhandari is allegedly a close associate of Priyanka Gandhi’s husband, Robert Vadra. Vadra is presently on anticipatory bail in the present case.
The ED further informed that it had summoned Sanjay Bhandhari’s relatives Sumit Chaddha and Pooja Chaddha, but they refused to appear and they are taking further steps.
Advocates Naveen Kumar Matta, Anil Khatri and Mohd Faizan appeared for the Enforcement Directorate in the matter.
The ED has been probing several allegations against businessman Sanjay Bhandari and his alleged links with Robert Vadra. It has been alleged that during the UPA era, Bhandari had taken commission and purchased properties in London whose beneficial owner was Robert Vadra. Robert Vadra denied these charges.
On November 10, 2023, Rouse Avenue Court allowed Robert Vadra to travel abroad and visit Austria and Switzerland for two weeks from November 12, 2023 and noted that he has travelled abroad on 16 previous occasions, there has not been even a single instance relied of the applicant having tampered with the evidence, or having interfered with the pending aspects of the investigation.
Vadra’s lawyer earlier told the court that the investigation in the said ECIR has been going on for around 6 years and is still pending, yet no proceedings before the court can be said to be pending against the applicant/Vadra nor anything incriminating has been found against the applicant till date, the applicant is, thus, not even an accused as of today.
The ED while opposing Vadra’s plea, submitted that given the influence, political clout and connections of the applicant, it is highly likely that the Applicant, if allowed to travel to Austria and Switzerland the same may frustrate the proceedings as one LR issued to the appropriate authority at Switzerland in another criminal proceedings against co-accused Sanjay Bhandari is pending and the applicant may interfere with the same.
The co-accused Sanjay Bhandari has evaded the process of law in spite of there being an LOC against him and thereafter a Red Corner Notice (RCN) was issued against him.
Now the extradition process of the main accused Sanjay Bhandari from the United Kingdom is at a crucial stage and the Westminster Court, UK has ordered for his extradition vide order dated 07, 2022 subsequently, the Secretary of State also ordered for his extradition vide order dated January 12, 2022.
As such, the possibility of the applicant evading the process of law cannot be ruled out, stated the ED in court.
In April this year, the Enforcement Directorate attached a property in Delhi worth Rs 4.50 crore belonging to Sharan Svadha LLP in connection with a case lodged against Pilatus Aircraft Ltd, Switzerland, Sanjay Bhandari and others, officials said.
(with inputs from ANI)
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