Priyanka Gandhi’s name mentioned in chargesheet in money laundering case

mangaloretoday.com

New Delhi, Dec 28, 2023: Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi’s name was mentioned by the Enforcement Directorate in its chargesheet, mentioning her role in purchasing an agricultural land in Haryana’s Faridabad. The Enforcement Directorate stated Priyanka was involved in the purchase of the land from a Delhi-based real estate agent, HL Pahwa, in 2006 and selling the same land to him in February 2010.

 

Priyanka Gandhi has not been named an accused in the case.

According to the probe agency, Priyanka was involved in purchasing the land from Pahwa -- the agent with whom Priyanka’s husband Robert Vadra also purchased three pieces of land, measuring 334 kanals (40.08 acres), between 2005-2006, and sold the same land to him in December 2010.

On Tuesday, the Enforcement Directorate had mentioned Robert Vadra’s name in the chargesheet.

The money laundering case also involves defense dealer and London-based fugitive Sanjay Bhandari.

The Enforcement Directorate alleged that Robert Vadra "renovated and stayed" at a London property which was a "proceeds of crime" in a money laundering case against Bhandari.

Bhandari fled to the UK in 2016 and the British government approved his extradition to India in January this year, acting on the legal request made by the ED and the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).

The ED issued a statement stating that it has filed a fresh charge sheet in this case against CC or Cheruvathur Chakutty Thampi, a UAE-based NRI businessman, and UK national Sumit Chadha.

Thampi was arrested in this case in January 2020 and the ED alleged he was a "close associate" of Vadra.

Thampi is currently out on bail.

"Sanjay Bhandari held various undisclosed foreign income and assets including the following properties at no 12 Bryanston Square, London and 6 Grosvenor Hill Court, London. These assets are proceeds of crime as per the provisions of the PMLA and C C Thampi and Sumit Chadha have been found to be involved in the concealment and use of these proceeds of crime," the ED charged.

The probe found, it said, that Thampi "is a close associate of Mr Robert Vadra".

"Mr Robert Vadra not only renovated the aforesaid property at 12 Bryanston Square, London through Sumit Chadha but also stayed in the same. Mr Robert Vadra as well as CC Thampi purchased a huge chunk of land at Faridabad (near Delhi) and had financial transactions with each other," the ED claimed.

Vadra has been questioned by the ED in the past and he has denied wrongdoing.

Courtesy: India Today