ED chargesheet mentions ’05-06 land deals of Priyanka, Robert

Animesh Singh

New Delhi, December 28

Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra has been mentioned in a chargesheet filed by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in connection with its probe into an allegedly dubious purchase of land in Haryana from a Delhi-based real estate agent, who was also hired by CC Thampi, an aide of fugitive arms dealer Sanjay Bhandari, and is also a close associate of Priyanka’s husband Robert Vadra.

Implications for congress leader

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While Robert Vadra’s name has surfaced in the ED chargesheet filed against CC Thampi and Sumit Chadha, who are the co-accused in the money laundering case against fugitive arms dealer Sanjay Bhandari, it is Priyanka’s mention which is likely to provide a lot of political gunpowder to the BJP ahead of the General Election.

The chargesheet also explains in detail the close association between Robert and Thampi.

While Robert’s name has surfaced in the chargesheet filed against Thampi and Sumit Chadha, who are the co-accused in the money laundering case against Bhandari, it is Priyanka’s mention which is likely to provide a lot of political gunpowder to the BJP ahead of the General Election.

However, neither Priyanka nor Robert have been listed as accused in the matter.

The chargesheet says, “Robert Vadra purchased three pieces of land measuring 40.8 acres at Amipur village in Faridabad district of Haryana from Delhi-based real estate agent HL Pahwa in 2005-2006 and sold the same land to Pahwa in December 2010. Further Priyanka Gandhi also purchased agricultural land measuring 5 acres in Amipur village from Pahwa in April 2006 and sold it back to him in February 2010. Pahwa was receiving cash off the books. It was also noticed that Robert did not pay the entire sale consideration to Pahwa. The investigation in this regard is underway.”

Incidentally, the chargesheet says that “during the course of investigation, it has been found that a long and thick relationship exists between Thampi and Robert Vadra. Not only a personal/cordial bond, but common and similar business interests have also been found between them…. In his statement recorded on June 19, 2019, Thampi said he knew Robert for the last 10 years and he (Robert) was initially introduced to him by Madhavan, PA to Sonia Gandhi. He met Robert many a time during the latter’s visit to the UAE”.

“Thampi said he knew that Manoj Arora was personal assistant to Robert and that he (Thampi) had met Arora mostly in Delhi with Robert…. Robert incorporated entities with the names Ms Sky Light Hospitality Pvt Ltd and Ms Sky Light Realty Pvt Ltd in India on November 1, 2007, and November 16, 2007, respectively. Sky Lite Investment FZE in the UAE was incorporated on April 1, 2009, with Thampi as its sole shareholder,” the agency said in its chargesheet, which was submitted before a special Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) court in Delhi on December 22.

“During the course of the investigation of Thampi’s Indian entities, which is being probed under the provisions of FEMA, 1999, it was found that he purchased 486 acres of land from 2005 and 2008 in Amipur village through Pahwa,” it added further, thus indicating that both Robert and Priyanka had purchased land from the same person from whom Thampi had also bought land.

A special PMLA court in Delhi has listed the matter for hearing on January 29. The chargesheet was placed before it on December 22.