New Delhi, May 13 (IANS) Businessman Robert Vadra has approached the Delhi High Court seeking a stay on the summons issued to him by a trial court in a money laundering case linked to a 2008 land deal in Gurugram’s Shikohpur village.

As per the cause list published on the official website of the Delhi High Court, the matter is listed for hearing on Thursday before a single-judge Bench of Justice Manoj Jain.

Vadra has challenged the April 15 order passed by the Rouse Avenue Court, taking cognisance of the prosecution complaint filed by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).

He has also sought a stay on the summons issued by the trial court directing him to appear before it on May 16.

The plea comes against the backdrop of the ED’s allegations that Vadra generated proceeds of crime through a fraudulent land transaction involving 3.53 acres of land in Haryana’s Shikohpur village and routed the alleged proceeds through multiple companies purportedly controlled by him.

Earlier on April 15, the Special Court at Rouse Avenue had issued summons to Vadra and eight others after taking cognisance of the prosecution complaint filed by the ED.

The Special Court directed Vadra, husband of Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, and the other accused to appear before it on May 16.

During the hearing, counsel appearing for Vadra had argued that no offence of money laundering was made out against him and urged the trial court not to take cognisance of the ED’s charge sheet.

Earlier, the court had issued notice to Vadra and others in compliance with Section 223(1) of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), which mandates that a proposed accused must be given an opportunity of being heard before cognisance is taken.

“Issue notice to all the proposed accused persons arrayed in the complaint for hearing on the question of taking of cognisance,” said the order passed by Special Judge (PC Act) Sushant Changotra.

According to the ED, Vadra’s company, Skylight Hospitality Private Limited, despite having limited capital, acquired 3.5 acres of land in Shikohpur in February 2008 for Rs 7.50 crore from Omkareshwar Properties Private Limited.

The probe agency has alleged that no actual payment was made and that the sale deed contained false declarations, including a reference to a cheque that was never issued or encashed.

The ED has claimed that the land was undervalued in the sale deed, leading to evasion of stamp duty and constituting an offence under Section 423 of the Indian Penal Code.

In its complaint, the ED has identified Rs 58 crore as proceeds of crime and has provisionally attached 43 immovable properties worth Rs 38.69 crore, described as direct or value equivalent to the proceeds of crime.

These properties are allegedly owned by Vadra, his proprietary concern Artex, Skylight Hospitality Private Limited and other associated entities.

The probe agency has sought a maximum punishment of seven years’ rigorous imprisonment under Section 4 of the PMLA, along with confiscation of the attached properties.

In October 2012, senior IAS officer Ashok Khemka had cancelled the Shikohpur land deal, citing procedural irregularities. Though an in-house government panel later gave a clean chit to Vadra and DLF, an FIR was subsequently registered by the Haryana Police after the BJP-led government came to power in the state.

–IANS

pds/uk