Last month, a day after the ED attached 43 immovable properties linked to Vadra and others, the central agency filed a chargesheet naming Vadra as an accused, it has been learnt (Archive)The Enforcement Directorate, probing an alleged money laundering case linked to a land deal in Gurgaon’s Shikohpur, has found that Robert Vadra allegedly acquired the property by under valuing it in the sale deed and he made the enhanced sale consideration on the pretext of other payments to match the undervalued prices of the property, it has been learnt.The case pertains to Vadra’s company Skylight Hospitality (SLHPL) purchasing 3.5 acres of land in Shikohpur village in Sector 83 of Gurgaon from Omkareshwar Properties (OPPL) at `7.5 crore in 2008.It has been learnt that Vadra has been named as accused number 1, apart from seven companies linked to him and two directors of SGY Properties (formerly Omkareshwar Properties) Satyanand Yajee and Kewal Singh Virk.The ED took cognisance of a September 2018 FIR filed by the Gurgaon police in December that year. Last month, a day after the ED attached 43 immovable properties linked to Vadra and others, the central agency filed a chargesheet naming Vadra as an accused, it has been learnt.Special Judge Sushant Changotra of Rouse Avenue Court, who is hearing the matter, is yet to take cognisance of the chargesheet. The matter will be heard next on August 28.Hearing the matter on August 2, the court issued notice to all 11 accused named in the ED chargesheet for hearing on the question of taking cognisance of the prosecution complaint which is akin to the chargesheet.When contacted, an advocate of Vadra said in a written response, “Not a single transaction ever was carried out unlawfully or in violation of any law or rules.”Story continues below this ad“Despite this, our client has extended his fullest cooperation and will continue to do so, in respect of any investigation… initiated against him. Our client has appeared on multiple occasions before the ED in respect of the aforesaid land deals and has answered more than 300 questions… despite the fact that the proceedings were lodged eight years ago, yet nothing illegal was found… he was summoned only now in 2025, for the first time in this matter. Our client has handed over more than 23,000 pages of documents and electronic records to the ED… upon their asking him for the same repeatedly, only to… trouble him,” he said.During probe, an official said the ED found that Vadra got the letter of intent (LoI) issued by the Directorate of Town & Country Planning (DTCP) officials though the rules did not permit the same with regards to licence of commercial colony. “He got the LoI issued for a company which is less than five months old with no history of developing any commercial colony either singly or in joint venture. The company had a capital of `1 lakh only and was not able to pay even the stamp duty… He did not submit any financial and the building plan along with its application, but still got the LoI issued for his company.”It was learnt that the ED has alleged that Vadra exerted “undue influence” on Haryana government officials through former chief minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda for the real estate transaction.Sources said that the ED has also found that through SLHPL, Vadra purchased 3.53 acres of land in Shikohpur without making the payment at the time of registration of sale deed and declared that full and final payment has been made.Story continues below this ad“He issued the cheque of `7.5 crore from another entity SLRPL to misrepresent the facts in the sale deed. This cheque was never cashed and no payment was ever made to SLRPL at the time of execution of sale deed. However, in this matter, the buyer was SLHPL, but the stamp duty was paid by the seller OPPL…he allegedly acquired the property by under valuing it in the sale deed and he made the enhanced sale consideration under the guise of other payments to match the undervalued prices of the property,” an official said.An official said the allegations in the FIR (by Gurgaon Police) against Vadra of exerting “undue influence through the then CM of Haryana” was evident from the fact that the financial capacity to build a colony in the absence of any financial documents were accepted by the officials of DTCP at entry level for the only reason that Vadra was the director of this company.“Moreover, the processing of the file on the day of its submission by every official in DTCP in a single day and then approval by the then CM of Haryana within five days clearly indicates the influence of Robert Vadra…” an official said.Mahender Singh Manral is an Assistant Editor with the national bureau of The Indian Express. He is known for his impactful and breaking stories. He covers the Ministry of Home Affairs, Investigative Agencies, National Investigative Agency, Central Bureau of Investigation, Law Enforcement Agencies, Paramilitary Forces, and internal security. Prior to this, Manral had extensively reported on city-based crime stories along with that he also covered the anti-corruption branch of the Delhi government for a decade. He is known for his knack for News and a detailed understanding of stories. He also worked with Mail Today as a senior correspondent for eleven months. He has also worked with The Pioneer for two years where he was exclusively covering crime beat. During his initial days of the career he also worked with The Statesman newspaper in the national capital, where he was entrusted with beats like crime, education, and the Delhi Jal Board. A graduate in Mass Communication, Manral is always in search of stories that impact lives. ... 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