The Enforcement Directorate has filed a chargesheet against businessman Robert Vadra, husband of Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, in a money laundering case linked to UK-based arms consultant Sanjay Bhandari, official sources said. The prosecution complaint has been filed before a special Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) court here, they said. This is the second money laundering chargesheet against Vadra. In July, he was chargesheeted by the ED in a money laundering case linked to alleged irregularities in a land deal in Haryana's Shikohpur. Vadra, 56, has been questioned by the ED in the Bhandari-linked case in the past. Bhandari, whose extradition request has been turned down by a UK court, was declared a fugitive economic offender by a Delhi court in July. The 63-year-old arms consultant fled to London in 2016 soon after the Income-Tax department raided him in Delhi. The ED filed a criminal case against Bhandari and others under the PMLA in February 2017, taking ...
A judge of the Delhi High Court on Thursday recused himself from hearing a plea by UK-based arms consultant Sanjay Bhandari challenging a trial court's order declaring him a "fugitive economic offender". Justice Girish Kathpalia, who was dictating the order and fixing the hearing for Friday on the maintainability of the plea, transferred the matter to another bench when the counsel for Bhandari and the Enforcement Directorate (ED) could not come to a consensus on the date of hearing. The case is listed before the trial court on August 2. Senior advocate Kapil Sibal, representing Bhandari, insisted that the matter be heard today itself as he was not available on Thursday, or it be heard after some days till when the court should direct the ED not to confiscate Bhandari's assets. However, ED's counsel was of the view that the court should not pass any interim order without hearing the agency's submissions, as he had preliminary objection on the maintainability of the plea and that it
Delhi court declares UK-based arms dealer Sanjay Bhandari a fugitive economic offender under FEOA. UK recently denied his extradition to India
The High Court in London on Tuesday refused the government of India's application seeking permission to appeal in Britain's Supreme Court against the discharge of Sanjay Bhandari, the defence sector consultant wanted in Delhi to face charges of alleged tax evasion and money laundering. Lord Justice Timothy Holroyde handed down the judgment at a brief pronouncement hearing at the Royal Courts of Justice in response to the Indian government's application filed last month. It followed Holroyde and Justice Karen Steyn's February 28 High Court judgment granting the 62-year-old businessman's appeal against being extradited on human rights grounds. The court received an application from the government of India seeking certification of points of law of general importance and grant leave to appeal to the Supreme Court, said Justice Holroyde. Having considered the written submissions, the court is satisfied that no oral hearing is necessary, and no further submissions required. The two point
The Indian government as respondent in Sanjay Bhandari extradition case has sought permission from the London High Court to appeal against the discharge of the defence sector consultant wanted in Delhi to face charges of alleged tax evasion and money laundering. According to government officials familiar with the case, the first in a two-part process was initiated this week, which involves getting the high court's certification of points of law of general public importance. If this stage is successful, the appeal can proceed to the Supreme Court for argument. A UK court official confirmed the Indian government had applied to certify two points of law of general importance and grant leave to appeal to the Supreme Court. It follows Lord Justice Timothy Holroyde and Justice Karen Steyn's February 28 high court judgment granting the 62-year-old businessman's appeal on human rights grounds. The court had ordered his discharge from then UK home secretary Suella Braverman's extradition o
Sanjay Bhandari, who is described by his lawyers as a consultant in the defence sector, is wanted in India on charges of tax evasion and money laundering
Sanjay Bhandari, a consultant in the defence sector wanted in India on alleged tax evasion and money laundering charges, began an appeal in the High Court in London on Tuesday against his extradition order. The 62-year-old businessman had won permission to appeal against a November 2022 Westminster Magistrates' Court ruling clearing his extradition earlier this year. His lawyers began making their arguments in the case, which is listed for a three-day hearing this week with the judgment expected in the new year. Lord Justice Timothy Holroyde and Justice Karen Steyn began hearing representations from barristers James Stansfeld and Edward Fitzgerald at the Royal Courts of Justice on three main grounds of appeal whether the bar for criminality had been met in the English jurisdiction, whether a prima facie case had been made and whether the accused faces a risk of violence in an Indian prison. The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS), appearing on behalf of the Indian authorities, will ..
The accused, through his lawyer, has moved the court for the cancellation of the NBW against him in the case
The Indian team will be headed by a senior officer from the MEA. Some meetings have also been scheduled with UK officials to seek pending information on the seized assets of the wanted fugitives
The Enforcement Directorate on Tuesday alleged that Robert Vadra, son-in-law of former Congress president Sonia Gandhi, "renovated and stayed" at a London property which is a "proceeds of crime" in a money laundering case against alleged middleman Sanjay 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 two federal agencies are probing charges of money laundering and tax evasion against the businessman for holding alleged undisclosed assets abroad. This is the first time that the federal agency has named Vadra in this case. The ED issued a statement stating that it has filed a fresh charge sheet in this case against C C 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. Tha
British Home Secretary Suella Braverman has ordered the extradition of Sanjay Bhandari, an accused middleman and consultant in arms deals, to India to face charges of tax evasion and money laundering
He is wanted in India for money laundering, kickbacks in arms deal and tax evasion during the UPA government
The CBI also carried out out searches at the residence and office of Bhandari in connection with the deal
Bhandari is alleged to have moved to London via Nepal giving a slip to the Delhi police