The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has intensified its probe against businessman Robert Vadra, husband of Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, by preparing three separate chargesheets related to alleged money laundering. After grilling Vadra for over 16 hours across three consecutive days, the agency has reportedly completed its draft chargesheets, which are expected to be filed soon.
According to ED sources, once these chargesheets are submitted to the court, it will pave the way for framing formal charges against Vadra in three major cases involving suspicious land deals and alleged kickbacks through foreign companies.
Two of the three cases are connected to Vadra’s suspected ties with fugitive arms dealer Sanjay Bhandari, who is accused of amassing vast properties abroad by exploiting Indian defence contracts. Investigators believe that Bhandari purchased prime properties in London using illicit funds, a portion of which are allegedly linked to Robert Vadra.
One of the prominent cases includes a money laundering charge tied to a land transaction in Bikaner, Rajasthan. The ED claims that Vadra and Bhandari routed illicit funds through foreign shell companies and individuals, including C.C. Thampi, to acquire and dispose of land assets for substantial profits.
ED officials have tracked a money trail worth over Rs 150 crore, leading to the seizure of assets worth Rs 26 crore belonging to Bhandari. The agency also uncovered transactions worth Rs 310 crore that were routed to Bhandari’s Dubai-based firm, ‘Offset India Solutions FZC’, allegedly as commissions in defence deals. These funds were later used to purchase properties in London and Dubai.
In Bikaner, Vadra is accused of purchasing land that was originally allotted for displaced persons. The ED alleges that Vadra used forged documents through his associates to acquire the land. His firm, Skylight Hospitality, reportedly bought 275 bighas of land for just Rs 72 lakh and later sold it for Rs 5.20 crore, raising serious concerns about the legality and intent behind the transactions.
Another major case under the scanner is the large-scale land acquisition in Haryana’s Faridabad district. Between 2005 and 2008, Robert Vadra, Priyanka Gandhi, and businessman C.C. Thampi allegedly bought 531 acres of land from a retailer named H.L. Pahwa. Interestingly, the land was later sold back to Pahwa, who eventually sold it to real estate giant DLF. ED is investigating whether this series of transactions was used as a conduit to launder money.
A similar land deal in Uttar Pradesh’s Gautam Buddha Nagar, involving the purchase of 12 acres, is also under investigation. In both these cases, the ED suspects coordinated efforts to use land transactions for the movement and layering of funds.
In a significant development, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra has also been named as an accused in one of the related land deals. A supplementary chargesheet was filed on November 21, 2023, making her a formal suspect in the ED’s ongoing investigation into alleged financial misconduct.
However, during court proceedings on December 22, 2023, when cognizance was taken of one of the main chargesheets and the process of framing charges began, both Robert Vadra and Priyanka Gandhi were not named in that particular case.
The latest developments come close on the heels of another major case — the National Herald case — where the ED recently filed a chargesheet naming Congress leaders Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi. The Gandhis are accused of misappropriating assets worth over Rs 5,000 crore of the Associated Journals Limited (AJL) through Young Indian Limited (YIL), a company in which they jointly own 76% shares.
The case alleges that the Congress party had extended an unsecured loan of Rs 90 lakh to AJL, which was never repaid. Instead, AJL handed over control of its properties to YIL after a token payment of Rs 50 lakh, effectively transferring ownership of vast real estate holdings to the Gandhi family. After the deaths of Motilal Vora and Oscar Fernandes, Sonia and Rahul are now alleged to be the sole beneficiaries of YIL.
