Court grants 3 weeks to ED to file list of unrelied documents in Shikohpur land deal money laundering case

The Rouse Avenue court on Saturday granted 3 weeks time to the Enforcement Directorate (ED) to file the list of unrelied documents filed along with the charge sheet in Shikohpur Land Deal money laundering case of Gurugram.

Delhi's Rouse Avenue court on Saturday granted 3 weeks time to the Enforcement Directorate (ED) to file the list of unrelied documents filed along with the charge sheet in Gurugram's Shikohpur Land Deal money laundering case. The ED made Robert Vadra an accused in this case. He is on bail in this case. He appeared before the court through video conferencing.

On the last date, the ED had sought time to file a status report on the investigation on the role of DLF in this case. Special Judge (CBI) Shivali Bansal granted time to the ED to file the list of documents and listed the matter for hearing on December 10.

Senior advocate Zoheb Hossain appeared for the ED through video conferencing. Special Public Prosecutor (SPP) Naveen Kumar Matta alongwith advocate Mohd. Faizan appeared physically before the court. The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on August 21 filed a status report on the ongoing investigation related to the role of DLF in the Shikohpur Land Deal, saying that it requires some more time to complete it.

The ED had earlier also sought 3 weeks' time to supply the list of unrelied documents as the investigation was pending. The ED has also filed a translation certificate of a land deed which was in Gujarati language.

On July 10 also the ED had filed a status report saying that role of DLF is being investigated. Robert Vadra was granted bail on May 16. Earlier, the court had issued summons to Robert Vadra and others on April 16 after taking cognisance of the ED's charge sheet against him and others.

As per the status report, further investigation is being conducted in relation to the role of M/s DLF, the court noted. On April 15, the court had issued summons to Robert Vadra, Keval Singh Virk, and different firms through their authorised representative.

The allegations of the ED against Robert Vadra being the major shareholder (up to 99%) and being the primary director /partner of accused firms (and proprietor of accused firm Artex) had played an active role in the commission of offences under sections 3 & 4 of PMLA. The ED has alleged that a fraudulent sale deed with false declaration of consideration was executed between the accused firms, and he, being the major shareholder, was the major beneficiary of the alleged proceeds of crime involved in commission of offences as described in the FIR of the predicate offence.

It has also been alleged that Proceeds of Crime (PoC) of Rs. 58 crores was generated by virtue of a joint venture agreement executed by the accused firm with DLF and the said amount is alleged to have been routed and utilised through entities belonging to accused Robert Vadra. On the basis of the Police FIR, ED recorded its case on 21.12.2018 and began an investigation to unearth the proceeds of crime generated through the alleged criminal activities.

It is stated that an FIR on 01.09.2018 was registered at Police Station Kherki Daula, Gurugram, Haryana for offences under Sections 120-B, 420, 467, 471 IPC and Section 13 of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988 against Robert Vadra, Bhupinder Singh Hooda, DLF Company, M/s Onkareshwar Properties Pvt. Ltd. (M/s OPPL) and others. Section 423 of the IPC was subsequently added in the said FIR on 16.01.2025. In the FIR, it is alleged that the accused firm had purchased land measuring 3.5 acres in Village Shikohpur, Sector-83, Gurugram from M/s Onkareshwar Properties Pvt. Ltd. (OPPL) at a price of Rs. 7.5 crores through a fraudulent sale deed without actual payment of the sale consideration at the time of registration of the sale deed. M/s OPPL gave the land as a bribe to M/s SLHPL so that Robert Vadra could get a housing license in the same village from the then Minister of Town and Country Planning, Bhupinder Singh Hooda.

It is further alleged that the accused firm obtained a licence to develop a commercial colony on the said land in violation of applicable rules and regulations by using the personal influence of Robert Vadra over the then Chief Minister of Haryana, Bhupinder Singh Hooda. After the issuance of the licence, the said land was sold to DLF for a sum of Rs. 58 crores. Land measuring 350 acres in Wazirabad, Gurugram, was wrongly allotted to DLF in violation of the rules, due to which DLF earned a profit of around Rs. 5000 crores, the police alleged. (ANI)