The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has named Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi in its charge sheet mentioning her role in purchasing agricultural land measuring 40 kanal (five acres) in Haryana's Faridabad from a Delhi-based real estate agent HL Pahwa in 2006 and selling the same land to him in February 2010. ED has named Robert Vadra in its earlier charge sheet related to the case as an alleged close aide of Thampi.

According to the ED, the land was purchased in Amipur village in Faridabad from Pahwa, the agent with whom Priyanka's husband Robert Vadra also purchased three pieces of land measuring 334 Kanal (40.08 acres) in Amipur village from 2005-2006 and sold the same land to him in December 2010.

The agent is the same person who sold land to NRI businessman CC Thampi. The larger case involves fugitive arms dealer Sanjay Bhandari, who is under investigation by multiple agencies for money laundering, violation of foreign exchange and black money laws, and the Official Secrets Act. He fled India for the UK in 2016. Thampi has been accused of facilitating Bhandari to hide the proceeds of crime, along with Sumit Chadha, a British national.

In the fresh charge sheet, it is mentioned that Pahwa was receiving cash out of the books to acquire land. "It was also noticed that Robert Vadra did not pay the entire sale consideration to Pahwa."

Meanwhile, AAP chief National Spokesperson Priyanka Kakkar reacted to the charge sheet and said, "We have been seeing that ED is continuously taking actions against the opposition leaders and our leaders are in jail. The law of 'guilty until proven innocent' applies to the opposition, whereas the law of 'innocent until proven guilty' applies to the entire country..."

In a statement, the ED on Tuesday also mentioned Robert Vadra in connection with the purchase of a property in London that is part of the probe.

Detailing the association between Vadra and Thampi, the charge sheet states, "During the investigation in this case, it is found that a long and thick relationship exists between CC Thampi and Robert Vadra. Not only a personal/cordial bond but common and similar business interests are also found between them."

Thampi, arrested in January 2020, ostensibly told ED that he had known Vadra for over 10 years and that they met several times during Vadra's visits to the UAE as well as in Delhi.

(With Agency Inputs)