New Delhi: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has named Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi in its charge sheet, citing her involvement in the acquisition of a 40 kanal (five-acre) agricultural land in Haryana’s Faridabad from a Delhi-based real estate agent HL Pahwa in 2006.
Subsequently, she allegedly sold the same land back to Pahwa in February 2010.
The ED claims that the property in question is located in Amipur village in Faridabad and was purchased from Pahwa, the same agent who, in earlier transactions, had dealings with Priyanka’s husband, Robert Vadra. Vadra reportedly acquired three parcels of land totaling 334 kanals (40.08 acres) in Amipur village between 2005 and 2006, subsequently selling the land back to Pahwa in December 2010.
Notably, Pahwa is also identified as the individual who sold land to NRI businessman CC Thampi. The broader investigation involves fugitive arms dealer Sanjay Bhandari, who is facing scrutiny from various agencies for alleged money laundering, violations of foreign exchange and black money laws, and breaches of the Official Secrets Act. Bhandari fled to the UK in 2016.
Thampi stands accused of aiding Bhandari in concealing the proceeds of criminal activities, alongside Sumit Chadha, a British national.
Though ED has named Robert Vadra in earlier charge sheets related to the case as a close aide of Thampi, this is the first time that Priyanka Gandhi has been mentioned in an official document submitted to court, Hindustan Times reported.
In the latest charge sheet, filed in November and reviewed by HT on Wednesday, the federal agency has alleged that estate agent HL Pahwa, who sold properties to both Vadra and Thampi, received cash out of the books for the land purchase in Haryana, and that Vadra did not pay the full amount for the sale, the report added, saying that Robert Vadra and Priyanka Gandhi have not been named as accused, and the land transactions have been mentioned to draw a link between Thampi and Vadra.
