Summary
This is the very first time that the Enforcement Directorate has actually called Vadra in the cash laundering case. Vadra, the spouse of Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, has actually been questioned by the ED in the past and he has actually rejected misbehavior.
New Delhi: The Enforcement Directorate on Tuesday declared that Robert Vadrason-in-law of previous Congress president Sonia Gandhi“remodelled and remained” at a London home which is a “earnings of criminal activity” in a cash laundering case versus declared intermediary Sanjay BhandariBhandari left to the UK in 2016 and the British federal government authorized his extradition to India in January this year acting upon the legal demand made by the ED and the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).
The 2 federal firms are penetrating charges of cash laundering and tax evasion versus the business owner for holding supposed concealed properties abroad.
This is the very first time that the federal firm has actually called Vadra in this case.
The ED provided a declaration specifying that it has actually submitted a fresh charge sheet in this case versus C or Cheruvathur Chakutty Thampi, a UAE-based NRI entrepreneur, and UK nationwide Sumit Chadha.
Thampi was apprehended in this case in January 2020 and the ED declared he was a “close partner” of Vadra. Thampi is presently out on bail.
“Sanjay Bhandari held numerous concealed foreign earnings and properties consisting of the following homes at no 12 Bryanston Square, London and 6 Grosvenor Hill Court, London.
“These possessions are earnings of criminal activity based on the arrangements of the PMLA and C Thampi and Sumit Chadha have actually been discovered to be associated with the concealment and usage of these profits of criminal activity,” the ED charged.
The probe discovered, it stated, that Thampi “is a close partner of Mr Robert Vadra”.
“Mr Robert Vadra not just remodelled the aforementioned home at 12 Bryanston Square, London through Sumit Chadha however likewise remained in the very same.
“Mr Robert Vadra in addition to C Thampi bought a big portion of land at Faridabad (near Delhi) and had monetary deals with each other,” the ED declared.
Vadra, the spouse of Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, has actually been questioned by the ED in the past and he has actually rejected misdeed.
The ED stated the Delhi court took cognisance of the additional prosecution grievance, submitted under the criminal areas of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) in November, on December 22.
Authorities sources informed PTI that the court likewise released summons to Thampi and Chadha after taking cognisance of the charge sheet.
It likewise released a non-bailable arrest warrant versus Chadha who has actually not signed up with the probe till now regardless of ED releasing summons to him.
Bhandari’s niece – Puja Chadha – is wed to Sumit Chadha, a UK nationwide.
The ED submitted the criminal case of cash laundering versus Bhandari and others in February 2017 taking cognisance of an Income Tax Department charge sheet submitted versus him under the anti-black cash law of 2015.
The ED informed the court in its extra charge sheet that Chadha “helped Sanjay Bhandari in concealment, acquisition, belongings and usage of earnings of criminal activity and management/ upkeep of homes beneficially owned by implicated Sanjay Bhandari.”
“He (Chadha) had numerous deals with implicated Sanjay Bhandari and his partners. He has actually been discovered actively associated with hiding the profits of criminal activity,” the ED stated in the chargesheet.
The court has actually now noted the matter to be heard on January 29 next year.
(Originally released on Dec 26, 2023)
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