ED Seeks Seven Years’ Jail for Robert Vadra in Gurugram Land Deal; Wants 43 Properties Confiscated

New Delhi, Aug 2025 – The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has moved the Special PMLA Court in Delhi seeking the maximum punishment of seven years of rigorous imprisonment for businessman Robert Vadra and several others in connection with the controversial 2008 Gurugram land deal. The agency has also urged the court to order the confiscation of 43 immovable properties allegedly acquired through the proceeds of crime generated by money laundering.

According to the prosecution complaint filed by the ED, the properties, worth ₹38.69 crore, were allegedly obtained by Vadra – husband of Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra – and other accused using illicit funds linked to the land transaction. The Special PMLA Court will consider the complaint on August 28 and has already issued a notice to Vadra.

Allegations of Fraudulent Transfer Deed

In its detailed submission, the ED has accused Vadra and his co-accused of not only laundering money but also committing an offence under Section 423 of the Indian Penal Code – dishonest or fraudulent execution of a deed of transfer containing false statements. The complaint states that the transfer deed in the Gurugram transaction contained false declarations about the payment made by the buyer to the seller.

“The deed recorded a false statement regarding the receipt of sale consideration from the buyer and misrepresented the total amount involved. The buyer never issued the cheque mentioned in the deed, and the cheque itself did not even belong to the buyer,” the ED’s chargesheet alleges.

The agency claims that such misrepresentation directly contributed to the laundering of funds and the concealment of the true nature of the transaction.

Loss to State Exchequer

The ED further alleges that the undervaluation of the land in the sale deed caused a direct loss of ₹44 lakh to the Haryana government in unpaid stamp duty. While the deed pegged the land’s value at ₹7.50 crore, the seller actually received ₹7.95 crore on August 9, 2008, and an additional ₹7.43 crore a week later, on August 16, 2008.

“The undervaluation clearly points to deliberate evasion of stamp duty,” the agency said.

Jurisdiction and Wider Trail

Defending its decision to file the PMLA case in Delhi rather than Gurugram, the ED said that all but one of the accused reside in Delhi, and most of the entities connected to the alleged laundering are registered in Delhi. Additionally, many of the bank accounts linked to Vadra and used to acquire assets or settle company liabilities are also based in the capital.

Although the FIR in the matter originated with the Gurugram Police, the ED’s investigation revealed that the alleged laundering activities occurred across multiple states, including Delhi, Haryana, Punjab, Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat, and Rajasthan.

Proceeds of Crime and Attached Properties

According to the ED, Vadra received ₹58 crore as proceeds of crime from the deal. The investigation led to the provisional attachment of 43 immovable properties valued at ₹38.69 crore. These assets, the agency claims, are either directly acquired with illicit funds or are of equivalent value.

The agency has asked the court to order the permanent confiscation of these properties by the government under Section 8 of the PMLA, alongside the sentencing of the accused under Section 4 of the Act, which prescribes rigorous imprisonment for three to seven years.

Next Steps in the Case

The Special PMLA Court will examine the ED’s complaint and decide on taking cognisance on August 28. If the court proceeds, Vadra and the other accused could face both imprisonment and the loss of their attached properties.

The 2008 Gurugram land deal has been under the scanner for years, with the ED alleging that it involved a complex web of shell companies, false documentation, and deliberate undervaluation aimed at generating illicit gains. Vadra has consistently denied any wrongdoing, calling the charges politically motivated.

However, the ED maintains that its investigation has unearthed clear evidence of fraudulent transactions, concealment of funds, and cross-border layering of illicit money, warranting the maximum punishment allowed under the law.

If convicted, Vadra and his associates could not only serve prison terms of up to seven years but also see the government seize properties worth several crores – marking a significant development in one of India’s most high-profile money laundering cases.