Daijiworld Media Network - New Delhi
New Delhi, Aug 10: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has sought a maximum of seven years of rigorous imprisonment for Robert Vadra and others involved in the controversial 2008 Gurugram land deal, according to the prosecution complaint filed at a Special PMLA court in Delhi.
The ED has also requested the confiscation of 43 immovable properties allegedly acquired by Vadra and his associates using proceeds of crime generated through money laundering. The Special Court has scheduled August 28 to take cognisance of the complaint and has issued a notice to Vadra.
In the complaint, the agency alleged that Vadra—husband of Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra—and other accused committed the penal offence of fraudulent execution of a deed of transfer containing false statements, which falls under Section 423 of the Indian Penal Code.
The ED accused the parties of executing a sale deed that falsely stated the amount and the payment method of the consideration. According to the chargesheet, the buyer never issued the cheque mentioned in the deed, and the cheque in question did not belong to the buyer. It further claimed that the misrepresentation led to an evasion of stamp duty amounting to Rs 44 lakh.
The ED cited discrepancies in land valuation, stating that while the sale deed declared the value at Rs 7.50 crore, the seller actually received Rs 7.95 crore on August 9, 2008, and an additional Rs 7.43 crore on August 16, 2008.
In justifying its jurisdiction, the ED said the complaint was filed in Delhi because all but one of the accused reside in the capital, and most of the entities allegedly involved in laundering the money are registered there. Though the initial FIR was filed by Gurugram Police, the ED said the alleged offence of money laundering took place across multiple states, including Delhi, Haryana, Punjab, Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat, and Rajasthan.
The agency also said that the bank accounts tied to Vadra’s associated entities were mostly located in Delhi, and were used to acquire assets or fulfil the liabilities of companies registered in the city.
According to the ED, Vadra received Rs 58 crore as proceeds of crime, and its investigation has led to the provisional attachment of 43 immovable properties valued at Rs 38.69 crore. These assets have been identified as either directly or indirectly linked to the proceeds of crime.
The agency has requested the court to confiscate these properties and punish the accused under Section 4 of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, which mandates rigorous imprisonment ranging from three to seven years.