ED files chargesheet names Priyanka Gandhi Vadra in land deal

Senior Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra. (File photo)

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has filed a chargesheet related to the alleged purchase and sale of five acres of land in Haryana and named Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and her husband, businessman Robert Vadra in it, however, they are not listed as "accused".

The investigating agency has said that Robert Vadra and Priyanka Gandhi purchased land in Haryana through a Delhi-based real estate agent who also sold land to NRI businessman CC Thampi. The agency claims that Vadra and Thampi share a "long and thick" relationship that extends to "common and business interests".

The chargesheet was filed against Thampi, and Sumit Chadha, a British national of Indian origin, who the ED believes assisted fugitive arms dealer Sanjay Bhandari in hiding the proceeds of his crimes. Bhandari is accused of violating the Official Secrets Act and other laws. He fled India for the United Kingdom in 2016.

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While the ED has previously named Robert Vadra in earlier charge sheets related to the case as a close aide of Thampi, this is the first time that Priyanka Gandhi has been mentioned in an official document submitted to the court.

While Robert Vadra and Priyanka Gandhi, who is a general secretary in the Congress party, are not specifically accused in the chargesheet, it is noteworthy that they are mentioned together in the complaint for the first time.

The special Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) court in Delhi acknowledged this chargesheet on December 22 and scheduled the next hearing for January 29, 2024.

The ED mentioned in the chargesheet that it became aware of the land purchase and sale transactions involving the Vadras after initiating a Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA) case against 67-year-old Thampi in 2015.

The agency has previously quizzed Robert Vadra in connection with this case, and he has consistently denied any involvement in wrongdoing.

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According to the ED, Thampi acquired approximately 486 acres of land in Amirpur village, Faridabad, Haryana, from 2005 to 2008 through H L Pahwa, a real estate agent based in the Delhi-NCR region.

"It is imperative to mention that Robert Vadra also purchased three pieces of land measuring 334 Kanal (40.08 acres) in Amirpur from H L Pahwa from 2005-2006 and sold the same land to H L Pahwa in December 2010," news agency PTI said, citing the ED chargesheet.

Additionally, Priyanka Gandhi bought agricultural land covering 40 kanals (5 acres) in Amirpur village from H L Pahwa in April 2006. Subsequently, she sold the same land back to H L Pahwa in February 2010, the agency said.

Thampi was taken into custody in January 2020 in connection with this case. In a recent press statement, the ED claimed that he was a "close associate" of Robert Vadra. Thampi is out on bail, at present.

(With inputs from agencies)