‘Sufficient material to proceed’: Delhi court takes cognizance of ED complaint against Robert Vadra

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Written by: Nirbhay Thakur3 min readNew DelhiApr 15, 2026 10:13 PM IST A Delhi court takes cognizance of an ED money laundering complaint against Robert Vadra and others, summoning the accused over the controversial Haryana land deal. (Express File Photo by Tashi Tobgyal) Make us preferred source on Google Whatsapp twitter Facebook Reddit PRINT A Delhi court on Wednesday took cognizance of a prosecution complaint filed by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) against businessman Robert Vadra and others in a money laundering case linked to a land deal in Haryana’s Shikohpur. Special Judge Sushant Changotra of Rouse Avenue Court said the prosecution complaint disclosed sufficient material to proceed further against Vadra and eight others. “Accordingly, I take cognizance of the offences under Section 3 (offence of money laundering) read with Section 70 (offences committed by companies) of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, punishable under Section 4 of the Act…,” the judge said, summoning the accused on May 16. The ED had filed the complaint last July against Vadra, husband of Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, and 10 others. “The inference sought to be drawn from the aforementioned allegation is clearly to the effect that payment of Rs 58 crore by DLF was in fact given as bribe. There is no doubt that said investigation is pending and the present prosecution complaint is also silent qua the said fact … Nevertheless, considering the fact that further investigation of the case is going on, it shall be apt for the court not to comment on the merits of the aforementioned allegations,” the Judge said. “However, it is expected that further investigation shall include the above-stated facts within its purview for ensuring complete justice in the case,” he added. The case pertains to a deal of the purchase of 3.5 acres of land in Shikohpur from Onkareshwar Properties for ₹7.5 crore in 2008 and selling the land to DLF four years later for ₹58 crore by Skylight Hospitality — a company whose director Vadra had been earlier. The agency had also earlier attached 43 immovable properties linked to Vadra, Sky Light Hospitality Pvt Ltd and others. The prosecution complaint alleges that there was pressure on Directorate of Town and Country Planning (DTCP) officials from higher authorities to accelerate the process. The FIR in this case was based on a complaint filed by Surinder Sharma, a resident of Taruh in Nuh district, who had alleged that the land transaction was fraudulent and that Skylight Hospitality was registered in 2007 with a capital of just Rs 1 lakh. After Skylight Hospitality purchased the land, it was mutated in favour of the company within 24 hours and allegedly transferred to Vadra — a process that usually takes a minimum of three months. Within a month, the then Haryana government led by Bhupinder Singh Hooda gave Skylight Hospitality permission to develop a housing project on much of the land which led to a sharp increase in the prices of the plot. In June 2008, DLF agreed to buy the plot from Vadra’s firm for Rs 58 crore. In just a few months, the value of his property had increased by over 700%. In 2012, the transfer to DLF was complete and eight years later, it was cancelled citing violations. The ED is also investigating Vadra in another case against UK-based arms consultant Sanjay Bhandari. Nirbhay Thakur is a Senior Correspondent with The Indian Express who primarily covers district courts in Delhi and has reported on the trials of many high-profile cases since 2023. Professional Background Education: Nirbhay is an economics graduate from Delhi University. Beats: His reporting spans the trial courts, and he occasionally interviews ambassadors and has a keen interest in doing data stories. Specializations: He has a specific interest in data stories related to courts. Core Strength: Nirbhay is known for tracking long-running legal sagas and providing meticulous updates on high-profile criminal trials. Recent notable articles In 2025, he has written long form articles and two investigations. Along with breaking many court stories, he has also done various exclusive stories. 1) A long form on Surender Koli, accused in the Nithari serial killings of 2006. He was acquitted after spending 2 decades in jail. was a branded man. Deemed the “cannibal" who allegedly lured children to his employer’s house in Noida, murdered them, and “ate their flesh” – his actions cited were cited as evidence of human depravity at its worst. However, the SC acquitted him finding various lapses in the investigation. The Indian Express spoke to his lawyers and traced the 2 decades journey.  2) For decades, the Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) has been at the forefront of the Government’s national rankings, placed at No. 2 over the past two years alone. It has also been the crucible of campus activism, its protests often spilling into national debates, its student leaders going on to become the faces and voices of political parties of all hues and thoughts. The Indian Express looked at all court cases spanning over two decades and did an investigation. 3) Investigation on the 700 Delhi riots cases. The Indian Express found that in 17 of 93 acquittals (which amounted to 85% of the decided cases) in Delhi riots cases, courts red-flag ‘fabricated’ evidence and pulled up the police. Signature Style Nirbhay’s writing is characterized by its procedural depth. He excels at summarizing 400-page chargesheets and complex court orders into digestible news for the general public. X (Twitter): @Nirbhaya99 ... Read More Stay updated with the latest - Click here to follow us on Instagram