Delhi Court Issues Notice to Robert Vadra in Land Deal Case?

New Delhi, Aug 2 (NationPress) A Delhi court has issued a notice to businessman Robert Vadra, who is married to Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, regarding a money laundering case associated with a land transaction in Shikohpur, Haryana. The court is seeking his response before acknowledging the prosecution complaint lodged by the Enforcement Directorate (ED).

Special Judge (PC Act) Sushant Changotra issued the order following a complaint from the ED under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002 (PMLA), which includes allegations of money laundering against Vadra, his company Sky Light Hospitality, Satyanand Yajee, Kewal Singh Virk, and Blue Breeze Trading LLP. According to Section 223(1) of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), no court may acknowledge a complaint without allowing the accused a chance to be heard.

The court noted, "The proviso to sub-section (1) of Section 223 restricts the Court's ability to take cognizance, stipulating that no cognizance of an offense shall be taken by the Magistrate without giving the accused an opportunity to be heard," referencing the recent Supreme Court ruling in Kushal Kumar Agarwal v. Directorate of Enforcement (2025).

The order mandates, "Issue notice to all proposed accused persons identified in the complaint for a hearing on the cognizance question," and requires that the complaint and associated documents be shared digitally with the proposed accused.

Additionally, the court remarked that it is not necessary to examine the complainant and witnesses at the pre-summoning stage, as the complaint was submitted by the ED’s Assistant Director.

"Section 223 of BNSS states that the Magistrate is not required to examine the complainant and witnesses at the pre-summoning stage. Thus, there is no need for examining the complainant and other witnesses at this juncture," the order further indicated. The case is scheduled for a hearing on August 28, 2025. Recently, the Rouse Avenue Court had reserved its decision on issuing a notice to Vadra, who is the son-in-law of former Congress President Sonia Gandhi, after the ED alleged that Vadra's Skylight Hospitality had “fraudulently” acquired 3.53 acres of land in Shikohpur for Rs 7.5 crore from Onkareshwar Properties through a “false declaration.”

Advocate Zoheb Hossain, representing the ED, claimed that the sale deed inaccurately stated a payment of Rs 7.5 crore, while no such payment actually occurred.

This payment was later made to avoid stamp duty, a fact corroborated by key witnesses, Hossain added.

Furthermore, the federal anti-money laundering agency alleged that Vadra, “utilizing his personal influence,” secured a commercial license on the acquired land. According to the ED, the land was subsequently sold to DLF at a higher price, and this aspect remains under investigation.

In April of this year, Vadra underwent multiple rounds of questioning by the ED, during which his statement was recorded.

The land transaction in question took place in February 2008, during the Congress regime in Haryana, with Bhupinder Singh Hooda as the chief minister.

The mutation process, which typically takes months, was completed the following day. Subsequently, Vadra received a permit to develop a housing society on the land, leading to an increase in the plot's value.

He sold it to DLF in June for Rs 58 crore. The ED is investigating the origins of the proceeds, suspecting them to be linked to a money laundering operation.

In October 2012, IAS officer Ashok Khemka (now retired), who served as the Director General of Land Consolidation and Land Records-cum-Inspector-General of Registration of Haryana, annulled the land purchase agreement due to procedural irregularities.

Later, in 2013, an internal government panel cleared both Vadra and DLF of any wrongdoing.

When the BJP-led government assumed power, an FIR was filed by the Haryana Police against former Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda, Robert Vadra, and others.