New Delhi, Dec 22 (NationPress) The Rouse Avenue Court in the capital is set to determine on Monday whether to acknowledge a prosecution complaint lodged by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) against entrepreneur Robert Vadra — the spouse of Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi — concerning a money laundering case tied to a 2008 land transaction in Gurugram’s Shikohpur village.

The ED has submitted a chargesheet under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) against Vadra, who is the son-in-law of former Congress president Sonia Gandhi, claiming that illicit profits were generated through a deceptive land deal involving 3.53 acres of land in Haryana.

In its complaint to the Rouse Avenue Court, the ED asserts that the illicit gains were funneled through multiple companies under Vadra's control.

The federal anti-money laundering agency has accused the defendants of committing money laundering offenses across various regions, including Delhi, Haryana, Punjab, Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat, and Rajasthan.

Previously, a Delhi court had issued a notice to Vadra and other potential defendants, noting that Section 223(1) of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS) requires courts to provide an opportunity for the accused to be heard before taking cognizance of a complaint.

“Issue notice to all proposed accused persons listed in the complaint for a hearing regarding the cognizance issue,” stated the order by Special Judge (PC Act) Sushant Changotra.

According to the ED, Vadra’s firm, Skylight Hospitality Private Limited, despite having limited funds, purchased 3.5 acres of land in Shikohpur in February 2008 for Rs 7.50 crore from Omkareshwar Properties Private Limited.

The investigation agency alleges that no genuine payment was made, and the sale deed included false statements, including a reference to a cheque that was neither issued nor cashed.

The ED contends that the land was sold below its actual value, resulting in stamp duty evasion and constituting an offense under Section 423 of the Indian Penal Code.

In its complaint, the ED has identified Rs 58 crore as illicit proceeds and has provisionally attached 43 properties worth Rs 38.69 crore, described as either direct proceeds or value equivalent to the illicit gains. These properties are purportedly owned by Vadra, his proprietary firm Artex, Skylight Hospitality Private Limited, and other related entities.

The investigative agency has requested a maximum sentence of seven years of rigorous imprisonment under Section 4 of the PMLA, along with the confiscation of the attached properties.

In October 2012, senior IAS officer Ashok Khemka annulled the Shikohpur land deal, citing procedural irregularities. Although a government panel later cleared Vadra and DLF, an FIR was filed by the Haryana Police after the BJP-led government assumed power in the state.