The Rouse Avenue Court on Friday began hearing the Enforcement Directorate’s (ED) prosecution complaint under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) against businessman Robert Vadra and others.
Special Judge Sushant Changotra reviewed the charge sheet and directed the court’s record keeper (Ahalmad) to verify the documents before submitting a compliance report.
The matter has been listed for further consideration on July 24, following a request by Special Public Prosecutor N.K. Matta for an early hearing.
Verification Of Charge Sheet
Special Judge Changotra instructed the Ahalmad to cross-check the charge sheet filed by the ED on July 17, 2025, along with all annexed documents. This preliminary step ensures that the prosecution’s filings are complete and accurately indexed before the substance of the allegations is addressed. The court will review the verification report at the next hearing.
Background
The prosecution complaint stems from an FIR registered by the Gurugram Police concerning a land transaction in Village Shikohpur, Sector 83, Gurugram.
According to the FIR, on February 12, 2008, Vadra, through his company Sky Light Hospitality Pvt. Ltd.—purchased 3.53 acres of land from Onkareshwar Properties Pvt. Ltd. The ED alleges that this acquisition involved false declarations and that a commercial licence for the land was obtained through Vadra’s “personal influence.”
Key Accused
The ED’s filing identifies 11 accused in total, including:
- Robert Vadra
- M/s Sky Light Hospitality Pvt. Ltd.
- M/s Onkareshwar Properties Pvt. Ltd.
- Satyanand Yajee
- Kewal Singh Virk
Each is charged with money laundering offences arising from the purported land transaction and subsequent financial dealings.
Provisional Attachment Order
As part of its ongoing investigation, the ED issued a Provisional Attachment Order on July 16, 2025, freezing 43 immovable properties linked to Vadra and his associate entities. These properties, collectively valued at around ₹37.64 crore, remain under provisional seizure pending completion of the PMLA proceedings.
Next Steps
With document verification underway, the court will next consider the formal charge sheet on July 24. At that stage, arguments may focus on the sufficiency of the ED’s evidence and the framing of charges against each accused. Meanwhile, the exemption of any personal appearance requirements for Vadra will continue unless the court decides otherwise.
This case represents a significant strand of the ED’s larger inquiry into alleged corrupt land deals and the misuse of political influence, underscoring the stringent procedural steps courts follow before delving into substantive PMLA hearings.
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