A Delhi court on Saturday took note of a supplementary chargesheet filed by the Enforcement Directorate against Robert Vadra in a money laundering case linked to alleged arms dealer Sanjay Bhandari. The court scheduled the next hearing for January 24.

Special judge Sushant Changotra also allowed the Enforcement Directorate to place on record a consolidated list of documents that were submitted with the new supplementary chargesheet.

Vadra, who is 56 years old, has already been questioned by the Enforcement Directorate in the past in connection with the case linked to Bhandari.

Bhandari, who is currently living in the UK, is wanted in India for allegedly taking kickbacks in defence deals through shell companies registered in the UAE.

Investigators said the defence middleman moved large sums of money into overseas shell accounts and invested in properties in the UAE and the UK between 2009 and 2016 which included deals linked to platforms such as the Pilatus trainer aircraft.

The ED last month filed its second supplementary prosecution complaint in the money laundering case connected to Bhandari and formally named Vadra as an accused. However, Vadra continues to be protected by an anticipatory bail granted by a Delhi court in 2019.

During the hearing, Special Public Prosecutor Naveen Kumar Matta, who was assisted by Advocate Mohd. Faizan represented the ED.

According to reports, Vadra's role has become more central in the wider investigation into Bhandari, who is accused of handling suspicious financial transactions and benefitting from them as cited by ANI.

Vadra appeared before the ED in July this year, and his statement was recorded under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act.

The businessman is also facing ED scrutiny in three separate money laundering cases, which include two cases involving alleged irregularities in land deals. Investigators are examining whether money from these deals was moved through offshore entities connected to Bhandari.

This is the second money laundering chargesheet filed against Vadra. In July, the ED had named him in another case involving alleged irregularities in a land deal in Shikohpur in Haryana. The agency also filed a chargesheet on April 17 against Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi in the National Herald money laundering case.

Vadra continues to be under scrutiny in several ED investigations tied to land transactions carried out during previous Congress governments in Haryana and Rajasthan. He is accused of receiving favourable treatment from the then Haryana administration under former chief minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda, which allegedly allowed his land to be converted from agricultural to commercial or residential use and brought him significant financial benefit.

Keywords:
Robert Vadra, ED case, Sanjay Bhandari, Delhi court