The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has filed a supplementary chargesheet against Robert Vadra, brother-in-law of Rahul Gandhi, in a money laundering case involving fugitive arms dealer Sanjay Bhandari. This marks the first time Vadra has been formally named as an accused in the case. The chargesheet, filed before Delhi's Rouse Avenue Court, alleges that Vadra is a beneficiary of a London-based asset linked to Bhandari.
The ED's investigation has intensified, focusing on a money laundering trail of ₹310 crore spanning Dubai, London, and India. Properties in London, controversial land deals in Bikaner and Faridabad, and questionable financial transactions are under scrutiny. The agency is probing Vadra's alleged links to Bhandari, who is accused of amassing properties abroad through illicit funds from Indian defense contracts. Bhandari fled to London in 2016 after Income-Tax Department searches and was recently declared a Fugitive Economic Offender.
The ED claims Bhandari purchased prime properties in London using illicit funds, with some allegedly linked to Vadra. These properties include two located at 12 Bryanston Square and at Grosvenor Hill Court, 13 Bourdon Street. The agency alleges these are benami properties held by Vadra.
Vadra's role came under scrutiny as part of the larger investigation into Bhandari, who is alleged to have facilitated questionable financial transactions. Vadra appeared before the agency in July 2025, and his statement was recorded under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA). The ED has been investigating whether funds generated through land deals were routed through offshore entities linked to Bhandari.
In July 2025, the ED filed a chargesheet against Vadra in a money laundering case related to a 3.53-acre land deal in Shikohpur village, Gurugram, Haryana, dating back to 2008. The agency has attached ₹37 crore worth of immovable properties linked to Vadra, including 43 properties belonging to him and his entities like Sky Light Hospitality Pvt. Ltd. According to ED sources, Vadra's company, Skylight Hospitality Pvt Ltd, bought a 3.5-acre plot in Shikohpur for ₹7.5 crore and later sold it for ₹58 crore to DLF. The ED alleges that Vadra and Bhandari routed illicit funds through foreign shell companies and individuals to acquire and dispose of land assets for substantial profits.
Vadra, who was granted anticipatory bail in 2019, has denied the allegations, claiming he is being "hounded and harassed" as part of a "political vendetta". He maintains his innocence and categorizes the case as a political vendetta against him and his family.
