Robert Vadra gets bail in ₹58 crore Gurugram land deal money laundering case

Businessman Robert Vadra was granted bail by Delhi’s Rouse Avenue Court on Saturday in connection with the alleged money laundering case linked to the Shikohpur land deal in Gurugram, Haryana. The court granted bail on a personal bond of ₹50,000 and one surety after taking cognisance of the Enforcement Directorate charge sheet filed against him and other accused in the case.

The investigation relates to a land transaction involving Skylight Hospitality Pvt Ltd, a company in which Vadra had earlier served as a director. In February 2008, the company purchased 3.5 acres of land in Shikohpur village in Gurugram from Onkareshwar Properties for ₹7.5 crore during the Congress government led by former Haryana chief minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda. The Haryana government later granted a licence for development on part of the land, after which the property was sold to DLF for ₹58 crore in the same year.

In 2012, IAS officer Ashok Khemka cancelled the land mutation, citing alleged irregularities in the transaction and violations in the licensing process. In 2018, Haryana Police registered an FIR against Vadra, Hooda, DLF and Onkareshwar Properties under sections related to fraud, criminal conspiracy and corruption. Additional charges under IPC section 423 were later included in the case.

The Enforcement Directorate subsequently initiated a money laundering investigation based on the Haryana Police FIR. The agency alleged that the land value increased abnormally within a short period and examined financial transactions linked to Skylight Hospitality, including the sale agreement with DLF. The ED also investigated allegations that rules were violated to benefit private entities in land allocations and licensing decisions during the period.

After appearing before the court, Vadra stated that he had full faith in the judiciary and said he had nothing to hide in the matter. He also alleged that the Enforcement Directorate was functioning under political pressure and described the case as politically motivated. Earlier, Vadra had approached the Delhi High Court challenging the summons issued by the trial court after the ED filed its charge sheet in the case.