Why ED has filed chargesheet against Robert Vadra now

India Today

5 days ago

Robert Vadra has always been a figure of fascination. Not quite a politician, not quite a recluse either, he has floated somewhere between family man and political liability, the outlier who entered India's most powerful political dynasty through marriage.Now, Vadra's long and complicated tryst with investigative agencies has taken a serious turn. On July 17, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) filed a chargesheet against him in the Shikohpur land deal case, marking the first time any central agency has formally accused him in a criminal prosecution.advertisementVadra is no stranger to headlines. From the early days of the Congress-led UPA (United Progressive Alliance) rule (2004-14), his real-estate dealings have drawn scrutiny, innuendo and intense political theatre. But a chargesheet is a step up. It transforms the theatre into legal procedure, and speculation into alleged fact.So, what exactly is this case about, and why now? At the centre of it all lies a 3.53-acre plot in Shikohpur village, Sector 83, Gurugram, Haryana. In February 2008, when Bhupinder Singh Hooda was the state's chief minister, Vadra's company, Sky Light Hospitality, launched just a year ago, purchased the land in Shikohpur village for Rs 7.5 crore from Onkareshwar Properties.
The company, incidentally, had only Rs 1 lakh in its bank account at the time. The ED's chargesheet alleges that not only was the cheque issued from another Vadra-linked firm, Skylight Realty, it was never even presented to the bank.The land was allegedly mutated in Sky Light Hospitality's favour the very next day, a process that typically takes three months. And within four days of applying for a commercial licence, the Haryana government gave approval. By June 2008, DLF had agreed to buy the same plot for Rs 58 crore. Thus, in just four months, the land's value had appreciated by nearly 700 per cent.The Khemka factorIn October 2012, Ashok Khemka, Haryana's famously upright IAS officer, cancelled the land mutation, branding the transaction as a violation of the State Consolidation Act and other procedures. Khemka's action transformed a murky property transaction into a political scandal that Narendra Modi and the BJP weaponised during the 2014 Lok Sabha election campaign, targeting the Congress for its alleged culture of cronyism.By 2018, a full decade after the deal, a first information report (FIR) was filed. It named not just Vadra but also Hooda, DLF and others. The ED's money-laundering case is based on this FIR. The agency now claims the transaction was a textbook case of laundering: undervaluation, forged documentation, political influence and proceeds that cannot be explained.For instance, the ED claims that Vadra's firms lacked the financial capacity to purchase the land in the first place. Besides, Omkareshwar Properties, the seller, paid the stamp duty of Rs 45 lakh. Six months later, Sky Light Hospitality paid Omkareshwar Properties Rs 15.38 crore, double the sale deed amount, suggesting what the ED calls 'undervaluation of property' to evade stamp duty.advertisementVadra's defenceVadra's response has been consistent: this is political vendetta. His office's statement maintains he is a 'law-abiding Indian citizen' who will be 'cleared of any wrongdoing'. He has positioned himself as a victim of the BJP's campaign against the Gandhi family, noting that whenever he or Rahul Gandhi speak against the government, these cases resurface.He has a point, or at least, a talking point. The case has always appeared politically convenient for the BJP. Vadra's name routinely features in campaign speeches and television debates, often as shorthand for the alleged 'Congress culture' of entitlement and privilege. Vadra has long claimed that he is the soft underbelly through which the BJP seeks to punch wife Priyanka Gandhi Vadra.Priyanka is an asset for the Congress—charismatic, combative and often more direct than her brother Rahul. For years, she ensured that the Congress distanced itself from Vadra's legal troubles. Even when the Sky Light Hospitality controversy erupted in 2012, the party offered only muted support. The reason was simple: defending Vadra meant owning his baggage. And for a party already reeling from corruption allegations, the optics were unaffordable.advertisementYet, Priyanka always stood by her husband symbolically. She accompanied him to ED offices. She was seen beside him in campaign rallies. But for all the public displays of unity, such as Vadra campaigning in Raebareli or appearing during Rahul's election nominations, he has never been fully embraced by the Congress machinery. And now, with a formal chargesheet against him, Vadra remains what he has long been for the party: its Achilles heel, only more exposed.Political implicationsWith Sonia and Rahul already tangled in the National Herald case, Vadra's troubles round out a triumvirate of tainted Gandhis. Every time Priyanka goes for the jugular, the BJP flashes Vadra like a shield. And in the world of perception, that's often enough.The timing, of course, is not incidental. With the monsoon session of Parliament set to begin on July 21, and Opposition parties gearing up to corner the government on a range of issues, including India's global standing after Operation Sindoor, the Vadra case chargesheet gives the BJP a readymade diversion and potent weapon. As the Congress prepares to go on the offensive, the ruling party now holds a fresh arrow in its quiver: Vadra.advertisementJust as Priyanka is expected to assert herself in Parliament, showing a level of aggression and resolve that many Congress insiders say even surpasses Rahul, the ED has formalised longstanding allegations against her husband. The irony is hard to miss: the same property deals that allegedly brought Vadra immense financial gain during the Congress years now threaten to derail Priyanka's political ascent.The court is yet to take cognisance of the chargesheet. Meanwhile, Vadra is also under ED scrutiny in two other cases: a controversial land deal in Bikaner and alleged benami London properties linked to arms dealer Sanjay Bhandari.Legally, this marks a new chapter. Politically, it's dj vu. But the larger question is this: will this case go the way of most high-profile investigations—loud headlines, long delays and a quiet fadeout? Or will it see a transparent legal end?Subscribe to India Today Magazine- Ends