That is the primary time that the federal company has named Robert Vadra on this case.
New Delhi:
The Enforcement Directorate on Tuesday alleged that Robert Vadra, son-in-law of former Congress president Sonia Gandhi, “renovated and stayed” at a London property which is a “proceeds of crime” in a cash laundering case in opposition to alleged intermediary Sanjay Bhandari.
Bhandari fled to the UK in 2016 and the British authorities authorised his extradition to India in January this 12 months performing on the authorized request made by the ED and the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).
The 2 federal businesses are probing expenses of cash laundering and tax evasion in opposition to the businessman for holding alleged undisclosed belongings overseas.
That is the primary time that the federal company has named Vadra on this case.
The ED issued a press release stating that it has filed a contemporary cost sheet on this case in opposition to C C or Cheruvathur Chakutty Thampi, a UAE-based NRI businessman, and UK nationwide Sumit Chadha.
Thampi was arrested on this case in January 2020 and the ED alleged he was a “shut affiliate” of Vadra. Thampi is presently out on bail.
“Sanjay Bhandari held varied undisclosed international earnings and belongings together with the next properties at no 12 Bryanston Sq., London and 6 Grosvenor Hill Court docket, London.
“These belongings are proceeds of crime as per the provisions of the PMLA and C C Thampi and Sumit Chadha have been discovered to be concerned within the concealment and use of those proceeds of crime,” the ED charged.
The probe discovered, it mentioned, that Thampi “is a detailed affiliate of Mr Robert Vadra”.
“Mr Robert Vadra not solely renovated the aforesaid property at 12 Bryanston Sq., London by Sumit Chadha but additionally stayed in the identical.
“Mr Robert Vadra in addition to C C Thampi bought an enormous chunk of land at Faridabad (close to Delhi) and had monetary transactions with one another,” the ED claimed.
Vadra, the husband of Congress chief Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, has been questioned by the ED prior to now and he has denied wrongdoing.
The ED mentioned the Delhi courtroom took cognisance of the supplementary prosecution criticism, filed beneath the felony sections of the Prevention of Cash Laundering Act (PMLA) in November, on December 22.
Official sources instructed PTI that the courtroom additionally issued summons to Thampi and Chadha after taking cognisance of the cost sheet.
It additionally issued a non-bailable arrest warrant in opposition to Chadha who has not joined the probe until now regardless of ED issuing summons to him.
Bhandari’s niece – Puja Chadha – is married to Sumit Chadha, a UK nationwide.
The ED filed the felony case of cash laundering in opposition to Bhandari and others in February 2017 taking cognisance of an Earnings Tax Division cost sheet filed in opposition to him beneath the anti-black cash regulation of 2015.
The ED instructed the courtroom in its supplementary cost sheet that Chadha “assisted Sanjay Bhandari in concealment, acquisition, possession and use of proceeds of crime and administration/ upkeep of properties beneficially owned by accused Sanjay Bhandari.” “He (Chadha) had varied transactions with accused Sanjay Bhandari and his associates. He has been discovered actively concerned in concealing the proceeds of crime,” the ED mentioned within the chargesheet.
The courtroom has now listed the matter to be heard on January 29 subsequent 12 months.
(Aside from the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV employees and is printed from a syndicated feed.)