Rouse Avenue Court to Consider Supplementary Charge Sheet Against Robert Vadra in Sanjay Bhandari Money Laundering Case

The Rouse Avenue Court has fixed April 6 for consideration of a supplementary charge sheet filed in December 2025 against Robert Vadra in a money laundering case connected to alleged arms dealer Sanjay Bhandari.

During proceedings, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) submitted that the newly filed supplementary prosecution complaint does not require a pre-cognizance notice, as the court had already taken cognizance of the original charge sheet in the matter. Special Judge Sushant Changotra scheduled the case for April 6 after hearing the agency’s arguments.

The court directed Special Public Prosecutor Naveen Kumar Matta, who appeared for the ED through video conferencing, to place on record a relevant judicial precedent supporting the contention that a pre-cognizance notice is unnecessary in such circumstances. SPP Matta, assisted by Advocate Mohd Faizan, agreed to furnish the cited judgement and maintained that once cognizance has been taken on the main charge sheet, issuing a fresh pre-cognizance notice is not required for a supplementary complaint.

Acting in accordance with directions from the Delhi High Court, the ED also submitted a list of documents it does not intend to rely upon in the prosecution. These unrelied documents have been supplied to the accused.

The second supplementary prosecution complaint formally names Vadra in the ongoing money laundering proceedings tied to Bhandari, a UK-based defence dealer. Vadra had earlier secured anticipatory bail from a Delhi court in 2019.

According to reports, Vadra’s role has come under renewed scrutiny as investigators widen their probe into Bhandari, who is accused of orchestrating questionable financial transactions and deriving benefits from those dealings.

In July 2025, Vadra appeared before the ED, where his statement was recorded under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002 (PMLA).

He is currently facing investigation by the ED in three separate money laundering cases, including two linked to alleged irregularities in land transactions. The agency is examining whether proceeds from these property deals were routed through offshore entities allegedly associated with Bhandari.

Bhandari, described as a known associate of Vadra, left India for London in 2016 after the Income-Tax Department conducted a raid at his Delhi residence. More recently, a Delhi trial court declared him a Fugitive Economic Offender under the provisions of the Fugitive Economic Offenders Act, 2018.

Bhandari has challenged the trial court’s order before the Delhi High Court. In August, the High Court reserved its judgement on his plea contesting the decision to designate him a Fugitive Economic Offender.

By fLEXI tEAM