New Delhi. Sanjay Bhandari, a weapon dealer living in Britain, has been declared as a fugitive economic criminal by the special court of Delhi. The court has taken this action while hearing the Enforcement Directorate (ED) petition. After this action taken under the Fugitive Economic Offenders Act, 2018, the ED has now got the right to confiscate the property of Sanjay Bhandari. Sanjay Bhandari has many serious allegations including money laundering, illegal assets abroad. Sanjay Bhandari fled to Britain in 2016. India had raised the demand for his extradition but the UK court rejected the extradition application.
Taking cognizance of the Income Tax Department’s charge sheet against Sanjay Bhandari, the ED had registered a criminal case of money laundering against Bhandari and others in February 2017. After this, in the year 2020, the ED also filed a charge sheet against Sanjay Bhandari. Now after being declared a fugitive economic criminal, the ED has got a big success in this matter. Sanjay Bhandari’s name is also associated with Robert Vadra, husband of Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi. The ED had sent summons to Robert Vadra for questioning in the case last month.
According to the ED, arms businessman Sanjay Bhandari bought a house in London in 2009. The renovation work of this house was done as per the instructions of Robert Vadra and the money that was spent in it was also provided by Vadra. Although Vadra has dismissed these allegations, the ED is engaged in investigation of the entire case under PMLA. The decision to declare Bhandari as a fugitive economic offender by the court will also give a legally strong base for India to the possible appeals of his extradition from Britain.
