The Timeline of Robert Vadra's ED Questioning in Land Deal Case
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Synopsis
Robert Vadra, son-in-law of Sonia Gandhi, is under investigation by the Enforcement Directorate over a money laundering case linked to a land deal in Shikohpur, Haryana. The timeline details significant events from the initial land purchase in 2008 to recent developments in 2025.
Key Takeaways
- Vadra involved in a controversial land deal.
- ED investigating potential money laundering.
- Land value increased dramatically before selling.
- Multiple inquiries and legal proceedings ongoing.
- Recent court rulings favor Vadra's transactions.
New Delhi, April 17 (NationPress) Businessman Robert Vadra, son-in-law of former Congress President Sonia Gandhi, is under scrutiny from the Enforcement Directorate regarding a money laundering investigation related to a land transaction in Shikohpur, Haryana.
The case revolves around a land acquisition in February 2008 amounting to Rs 7.5 crore by Vadra's Skylight Hospitality in Shikohpur, located in Gurugram district of Haryana.
The usual mutation process, which typically takes months, was completed the very next day. Subsequently, Vadra received a permit to develop a housing society on this land, which significantly increased its value. He later sold the plot to DLF in June for Rs 58 crore.
Given suspicions regarding the proceeds potentially being tied to a money laundering operation, the ED has been investigating the origins of these unexpected profits. These transactions occurred during a period when the Congress party was in power in the state, with Bhupinder Singh Hooda serving as chief minister.
Here is a timeline of the case:
October 2012: IAS officer Ashok Khemka, then serving as the Director General of Land Consolidation and Land Records-cum-Inspector-General of Registration of Haryana, annulled the land acquisition deal citing procedural discrepancies.
2013: A government internal panel cleared both Vadra and DLF of any wrongdoing.
May 2014: The BJP-led Haryana government initiated a Commission of Inquiry under Justice S.N. Dhingra (retd) in 2015 to investigate the approval of a commercial license to Skylight.
September 2018: The Haryana Police lodged an FIR against former Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda, Robert Vadra, and others.
January 2019: The Punjab and Haryana High Court annulled the Commission of Inquiry's report due to procedural errors, barring the Haryana government from making it public. However, the court noted that this order would not stop the state from forming a new Commission of Inquiry on the same issue, although the government chose not to do so.
April 2023: In an affidavit to the P&H High Court, the Haryana government asserted that no violations were found in the land transfer from Robert Vadra's Skylight Hospitality to DLF. The affidavit, sworn by Inspector General (Gurugram) Raj Shri Singh, stated that the tehsildar of Manesar, Gurugram, reported that Skylight Hospitality sold 3.5 acres to DLF Universal Limited on September 18, 2019, with no rule violations in the transaction. The land remained registered under HSVP/HSIIDC, Haryana.
November 2023: A bench of the Punjab and Haryana High Court overseeing the timeline of cases against MPs and MLAs ordered that the investigation be expedited, noting that it had been progressing slowly for the past five years.
April 8, 2025: Vadra was summoned by the federal anti-money laundering agency but failed to appear. A second summons was issued for April 15.
April 15, 2025: Robert Vadra, the spouse of Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, was interrogated for approximately six hours by the ED and was requested to continue his cooperation in the investigation. His statement is being documented under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).
