Priyanka named in ED charge sheet in PMLA case

New Delhi, Dec 28: Congress General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra has been named in a charge sheet filed by the Enforcement Directorate, pertaining to the purported acquisition and disposal of a five-acre plot in Haryana. Notably, her husband, businessman Robert Vadra, is also mentioned; however, both have yet to be formally designated as “accused”.

A charge sheet has been lodged against C.C. Thampi, a non-resident Indian (NRI) businessman, and Sumit Chadha, a British citizen of Indian descent.

According to the ED charge sheet, throughout the investigation, it was discovered that C.C. Thampi acquired around 486 acres of land between 2005 and 2008 in the village of Amipur, District Faridabad in Haryana, through the services of H.L. Pahwa, a real estate agent based in Delhi-NCR.

Notably, Robert Vadra also procured three parcels of land totaling 334 kanals (40.08 acres) in Amipur from Pahwa during 2005-2006, subsequently selling the same land back to H.L. Pahwa in December 2010.

Moreover, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra acquired agricultural land measuring 40 kanals (5 acres) in the village of Amipur from Pahwa in April 2006. She later sold the same land to Pahwa in February 2010.

“Pahwa was receiving cash out of the books for the purpose of acquisition of land. It was also noticed that Robert Vadra did not pay the entire sale consideration to Sh. Pahwa. The investigation in this regard is still ongoing. The copy of the ledger accounts in the books of H.L. Pahwa reflecting the above mentioned transactions were taken on record vide letter dated November 17.11.2023,” read the ED charge sheet.

“During the course of investigation in this case, it is found that a long and thick relationship exists between C.C. Thampi and Robert Vadra. Not only a personal/cordial bond but common and similar business interests are also found between them. The details of the evidence showing their association are given hereunder in subsequent paras,” it read.

As per charge sheet, the statements of Thampi were recorded under Section 50 of PMLA on various dates.

“In his statement recorded on 19.06.2019, Sh. CCT stated that he knew Robert Vadra for the last more than 10 years and he (Robert Vadra) was initially introduced to him (Thampi) by Madhavan, P.A. to Sonia Gandhi. He met Robert Vadra many times during the latter's visit to UAE,” it added.