LegalCase – Delhi High Court Defers Hearing in Robert Vadra PMLA Matter
LegalCase – The Delhi High Court on Thursday did not grant immediate relief to businessman Robert Vadra in connection with a money laundering case tied to a land transaction in Gurugram’s Shikohpur village dating back to 2008. The matter has now been scheduled for further hearing next week as legal arguments continue over the applicability of provisions under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).
Court Examines Challenge to Trial Court Order
The case came up before Justice Manoj Jain of the Delhi High Court, where Vadra challenged an earlier order issued by the Rouse Avenue Court. That lower court had taken cognisance of the Enforcement Directorate’s prosecution complaint and summoned Vadra along with eight others in the case.
Senior advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi, representing Vadra, argued before the High Court that several offences cited in the original predicate case were added to the PMLA schedule only after the alleged events had taken place between 2008 and 2012. According to the defence, the issue regarding retrospective application of these provisions was raised earlier but was not properly addressed by the trial court.
Singhvi also questioned the jurisdictional basis of the proceedings, maintaining that the legal framework being relied upon today did not fully apply at the time of the alleged transactions.
Enforcement Directorate Opposes Plea
The Enforcement Directorate strongly opposed the petition and accused the defence of making inaccurate submissions before the court. ED counsel Zoheb Hossain told the bench that some statements made in the plea were factually incorrect, especially regarding provisions under the Indian Penal Code linked to the PMLA schedule.
Hossain argued that Section 467 of the IPC had already been included in the original PMLA schedule and therefore the defence argument lacked merit. He further urged the court to dismiss the petition, saying the claims raised were misleading in nature.
After hearing both sides, Justice Jain asked the defence to return prepared with detailed arguments focused on the retrospective application issue, which the court described as central to the matter. The High Court has now fixed May 18 for the next hearing.
Summons Issued Earlier by Special Court
Earlier this month, the Rouse Avenue Court had issued summons to Vadra and other accused individuals after taking note of the ED’s prosecution complaint. The court directed all accused persons, including Vadra, to appear before it on May 16.
Vadra, who is married to Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi, is expected to comply with the summons issued by the special court while the High Court proceedings continue separately.
Allegations Linked to Haryana Land Purchase
According to the Enforcement Directorate, Vadra-linked company Skylight Hospitality Private Limited purchased nearly 3.5 acres of land in Haryana’s Shikohpur village in February 2008 for Rs 7.5 crore from Omkareshwar Properties Private Limited.
The agency has alleged that the company had limited financial resources at the time and claimed that no actual payment was made for the transaction. Investigators further alleged that the sale deed contained inaccurate declarations, including mention of a cheque that was allegedly neither issued nor encashed.
The ED has also accused the parties involved of undervaluing the land in official documents, leading to alleged stamp duty evasion. Investigators say this forms part of offences punishable under relevant IPC provisions.
Properties Attached in Money Laundering Probe
In its prosecution complaint, the federal agency identified alleged proceeds of crime amounting to Rs 58 crore. The ED stated that it had provisionally attached 43 immovable properties valued at around Rs 38.69 crore that were allegedly connected to Vadra, Skylight Hospitality, Artex and related entities.
The agency has sought punishment under Section 4 of the PMLA, which provides for a maximum sentence of seven years of rigorous imprisonment. It has also requested confiscation of the attached assets.
Background of the Investigation
The Shikohpur land transaction first came under scrutiny in 2012 when senior IAS officer Ashok Khemka cancelled the mutation of the deal, citing procedural irregularities. While a government-appointed internal panel later cleared Vadra and real estate firm DLF of wrongdoing, the matter resurfaced after a change of government in Haryana, leading to the registration of an FIR and subsequent investigation by central agencies.