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New Indian Express
19-07-2025
- Business
- New Indian Express
Court begins scrutiny into ED chargesheet against Vadra in land deal case
NEW DELHI: A Delhi court on Friday initiated proceedings in a money laundering case against businessman Robert Vadra and others, stemming from a controversial land deal in Gurugram. The matter, which was brought before Special Judge Sushant Changotra of the Rouse Avenue Court, involves a prosecution complaint recently filed by the Enforcement Directorate (ED). During the hearing, the court directed the record keeper (Ahalmad) to examine the voluminous charge sheet and related documents and submit a verification report. The case has now been listed for further consideration on July 24. The ED, represented by Special Public Prosecutor NK Matta, requested a short date for the court to take up the matter formally. The complaint, filed on July 17, names a total of 11 accused, both individuals and corporate entities, including Vadra, his company Sky Light Hospitality Pvt Ltd, Onkareshwar Properties Pvt Ltd, Satyanand Yajee, and Kewal Singh Virk. The genesis of the case lies in an FIR lodged by Gurugram Police, which alleged that Vadra's firm Sky Light Hospitality acquired a 3.53-acre land parcel in Shikohpur, Sector 83, Gurugram, from Onkareshwar Properties on February 12, 2008. The FIR accused the parties of executing the transaction through fraudulent means, including false declarations, and leveraging Vadra's personal clout to secure commercial licensing for the property. The ED, investigating the case under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), claims the land deal was a classic case of proceeds of crime being laundered through real estate investments. As part of the probe, the agency on July 16 issued a Provisional Attachment Order, seizing 43 immovable assets with an estimated value of Rs 37.64 crore. These properties, the ED alleges, are linked to Vadra and the other accused, particularly via the business operations of Sky Light Hospitality.
India Today
18-07-2025
- Business
- India Today
Why ED has filed chargesheet against Robert Vadra now
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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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: 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 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 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
The Print
17-07-2025
- Business
- The Print
ED files charge sheet against Robert Vadra in Shikohpur land deal case
Overall, the ED has named 11 individuals and entities, including Satyanand Yajee and Kewal Singh Virk, directors of Onkareshwar Properties Pvt. Ltd, as accused in the case. The prosecution complaint, the agency's version of the charge sheet, also named the businessman's firm, Sky Light Hospitality, as the accused on the charge of purchasing land from Onkareshwar Properties based on false representation, sources in the agency said. New Delhi: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) Thursday filed a prosecution complaint against Robert Vadra, the businessman husband of Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, in a money laundering case linked to a land deal in Shikohpur village of Haryana's Gurugram district, ThePrint has learnt. Based on the investigation's findings, the ED issued attachment orders Wednesday for 43 immovable properties worth Rs 37.64 crore belonging to Vadra and his firms, as well as other accused. The money laundering case stems from an FIR registered by the Haryana Police in September 2018, following allegations that Skylight Hospitality purchased a 3.5-acre land parcel from Omkareshwar Properties at a comnsideration price of Rs 7.5 crore in 2008. It was sold to DLF Universal Limited, a DLF subsidiary, at Rs 58 crore in September 2012. It was alleged in the FIR that Vadra's firm could buy the land only due to the then chief minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda's influence, and later secured a commercial license for the land to develop a residential colony on the parcel. In April, ThePrint had reported that the ED was alleged to have found that the sale deed between Sky Light Hospitality and Omkareshwar Properties for the land parcels was executed without payment of the Rs 7.5 crore stated as the consideration amount in the agreement. The ED sources had suggested that Sky Light Hospitality paid Omkareshwar Properties around Rs 15 crore, suspected to have been received from DLF, which was the land's eventual buyer at a price of Rs 58 crore in 2012. Based on these new findings, the ED had summoned Vadra for questioning and recorded his statement multiple times this year before arraying him as an accused. Later, Vadra's office released a statement to the media, asserting that the proceedings are 'nothing more than an extension of the political witch hunt by the present government.' 'Mr. Robert Vadra is aware of reports suggesting that the Directorate of Enforcement has filed a prosecution complaint naming him as an Accused before the Rouse Avenue Courts, Delhi. As the court is yet to even take cognizance of the matter, Mr. Vadra has not had the opportunity to examine the prosecution complaint,' the statement said. 'As a law-abiding Indian citizen, Mr. Vadra has always and will continue to extend his fullest cooperation to the authorities and he is confident that at the end of it all, the truth will prevail and he will be cleared of any wrongdoing. The present proceedings are nothing more than an extension of the political witch hunt by the present government against Mr. Vadra. Mr. Vadra is looking forward to the opportunity to defend himself and clear his name in court,' it added. This is an updated version of the report with press statement from Robert Vadra's office (Edited by Tony Rai) Also Read: What's the Gurugram land deal case in which ED has summoned Robert Vadra
Indian Express
17-07-2025
- Politics
- Indian Express
ED chargesheet against Vadra, and the deep political connections of Onkareshwar Properties
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has filed a chargesheet against businessman Robert Vadra, the husband of Wayanad MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, in connection with its money laundering investigation in a deal for a 3.53-acre plot in Shikohpur village in Gurgaon's Sector 83 in 2008. According to the chargesheet, the plot of land was purchased by a company called Sky Light Hospitality Private Limited from one Onkareshwar Properties Private Limited. The payment cheques were issued by another company, Sky Light Realty Private Limited. Both Skylight Hospitality and Sky Light Realty are owned by Vadra. The companies had a credit balance of Rs 1 lakh each at the time of execution of the sale deed. The cheques were never presented to any bank for encashment at that time. The ED opened its investigation based on an FIR registered by the Gurgaon Police on September 1, 2018, alleging that Vadra, through Sky Light Hospitality, had purchased the land on the basis of a false declaration. The ED has attached 43 immovable properties linked to Vadra and his entities, including Sky Light Hospitality and others. Onkareshwar Properties, the company that sold the land to Vadra's Sky Light Hospitality, has a record of links with politicians. The company was registered in New Delhi on September 28, 2004, with two directors – Gobind Kumar Kanda, a resident of Sirsa, and Pradeep Kumar, a resident of Gurgaon – each of whom owned 5,000 equity shares. Gobind Kanda was the BJP candidate in the bypoll for the Ellenabad Assembly seat in 2021. He lost to Abhay Chautala of the Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) by more than 6,500 votes. Gobind Kanda is the brother of Gopal Goyal Kanda, who founded the short-lived MDLR Airlines and is a former MLA (2019-24) who has been close to the INLD, Congress, and BJP at various times. From 2009-12, Gopal Kanda was a Minister in the Congress government of Bhupinder Singh Hooda. In 2014, the brothers launched their own outfit, Haryana Lokhit Party. Over the past few years, Gopal Kanda has been a staunch supporter of the BJP. He contested the 2024 Assembly election for the Sirsa seat with the support of the INLD, led by the late Om Prakash Chautala at the time, and Mayawati's Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP). The BJP, which had denied Kanda the party ticket, withdrew its candidate days before the election. However, Kanda lost to the Congress's Gokul Setia by more than 7,000 votes. Between 2007 and 2011, one of the directors of Onkareshwar Properties was a resident of Noida named Sandeep Dahiya, who is a relative of former Chief Minister Hooda's wife Asha Hooda. Sushil Gupta, a resident of Rohtak and another close Hooda aide, was a director at the company from 2010 to 2012. At the time Onkareshwar Properties sold the Shikohpur land to Vadra's company, Hooda was Chief Minister of Haryana, and Hooda's aide Satyanand Yajee and his wife Godavari Yajee were directors at Onkareshwar. As per records with the Ministry of Corporate Affairs, Onkareshwar's paid-up capital on September 30, 2011 was Rs 25 lakh, and 98 per cent of the company was owned by Satyanand and 2 per cent by Godavari. In February 2008, Sky Light Hospitality, which Vadra had launched in 2007 with a capital of Rs 1 lakh, bought about 3.5 acres of land in Manesar-Shikohpur in Gurgaon from Onkareshwar for Rs 7.5 crore. The plot was mutated in favour of Sky Light Hospitality the next day, and the title of the land was transferred to Vadra's company within 24 hours of the purchase. This process usually takes at least three months. A month later, Hooda's government gave Sky Light Hospitality permission to develop a housing project on approximately 2.71 acres of the land. This led to an immediate increase in the value of the land. In June 2008, real estate major DLF agreed to buy the plot for Rs 58 crore — which meant that the value of the property had increased by close to 700% within weeks. The money was paid to Vadra in installments, and in 2012, the mutation transferring the colony licence on the land was finally transferred to DLF. In October 2012, Ashok Khemka, a retired IAS officer who was Haryana's Director General, Consolidation of Land Holdings and Land Records-cum-Inspector General of Registration, started looking into Vadra's land deals in the state. He was transferred almost immediately, on October 11, 2012, on the orders of Chief Minister Hooda. But the officer managed to complete his investigation, and on October 15, 2012, set aside the mutation of the land on the ground that the assistant consolidation officer, who had sanctioned it, was not competent to do so. After the cancellation After Khemka's order cancelling the mutation of the land sparked a major controversy, the Haryana government formed a panel of three senior IAS officers — Krishna Mohan, Rajan Gupta, and K K Jalan — to look into the issue. In April 2013, Hooda's government gave a clean chit to both Vadra and DLF, and instead accused Khemka of 'acting beyond the authority vested in him'. A year after coming to power in 2014, the BJP government of Manohar Lal Khattar set up a commission of inquiry under Justice SN Dhingra (retd), which submitted its 182-page report to the government on August 31, 2016. Khattar's government did not make the contents of the report public. In November 2016, after Hooda challenged the setting up of the commission of inquiry before the Punjab and Haryana High Court, the government told the court that the report 'shall not be published'. In 2018, Hooda and Vadra were booked for alleged irregularities in land deals, including this deal. In an affidavit filed before the HC, the Haryana government submitted that the 'Tehsildar Manesar, Gurugram' had reported that 'Skylight Hospitality sold 3.5 Acre (land in question) to DLF Universal Limited on September 18, 2012 and no regulation/ rules have been violated in said transaction'. Hooda has always denied all allegations of wrongdoing, and dismissed the accusations as 'political vendetta'.
