New Delhi, April 15 (IANS) In a setback to businessman Robert Vadra, a court here on Wednesday issued summons to him and eight others after taking cognisance of a prosecution complaint filed by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in a money laundering case linked to a 2008 land deal in Gurugram’s Shikohpur village.

The Special Court at Rouse Avenue directed Vadra, husband of Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and son-in-law of former Congress President Sonia Gandhi, and the other accused to appear before it on May 16.

Earlier on April 4, the court had reserved its order on the question of taking cognisance after hearing detailed submissions from the ED and the defence on the prosecution complaint filed under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).

During the hearing, counsel appearing for Vadra had argued that no offence of money laundering was made out against him and urged the court not to take cognisance of the ED’s charge sheet.

The federal anti-money laundering agency has accused Vadra of generating proceeds of crime through a fraudulent land transaction involving 3.53 acres of land in Haryana’s Shikohpur village.

The ED has further claimed that the proceeds were routed through multiple companies purportedly controlled by him.

Earlier, the court had issued notice to Vadra and others in compliance with Section 223(1) of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), which mandates that a proposed accused must be given an opportunity of being heard before cognisance is taken.

“Issue notice to all the proposed accused persons arrayed in the complaint for hearing on the question of taking of cognisance,” said the order passed by Special Judge (PC Act) Sushant Changotra.

According to the ED, Vadra’s company, Skylight Hospitality Private Limited, despite having limited capital, acquired 3.5 acres of land in Shikohpur in February 2008 for Rs 7.50 crore from Omkareshwar Properties Private Limited.

The probe agency has alleged that no actual payment was made and that the sale deed contained false declarations, including a reference to a cheque that was never issued or encashed.

The ED has claimed that the land was undervalued in the sale deed, leading to evasion of stamp duty and constituting an offence under Section 423 of the Indian Penal Code.

In its complaint, the ED has identified Rs 58 crore as proceeds of crime and has provisionally attached 43 immovable properties worth Rs 38.69 crore, described as direct or value equivalent to the proceeds of crime. These properties are allegedly owned by Vadra, his proprietary concern Artex, Skylight Hospitality Private Limited and other associated entities.

The probe agency has sought a maximum punishment of seven years’ rigorous imprisonment under Section 4 of the PMLA, along with confiscation of the attached properties.

In October 2012, senior IAS officer Ashok Khemka had cancelled the Shikohpur land deal, citing procedural irregularities. Though an in-house government panel later gave a clean chit to Vadra and DLF, an FIR was subsequently registered by the Haryana Police after the BJP-led government came to power in the state.

–IANS

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