Sanjay Bhandari case: Delhi Court stays NBW issued against Sumit Chadha, UK national

The non-bailable warrant (NBW) against British national Sumit Chadha, who was recently charged by the Enforcement Directorate with money laundering connected to controversial arms dealer Sanjay Bhandari and others, has been halted by the Rouse Avenue Court. The accused has requested that the NBW against him in the case be canceled through his attorney. While granting a stay of proceedings, Additional Sessions Judge Neelofer Abida Parveen stated on February 3, 2024, that since the accused, a British national residing in the UK, appeared through counsel upon learning of the proceedings against him before this court, it is directed that the non-bailable warrants issued on December 22, 2023, for the production of accused Sumeet Chadha, be executed.

On January 29, 2024, the Court sought a response from the Enforcement Directorate on Chadha’s plea seeking cancellation of NBW.
On January 22, Special Judge Neelofer Abida Parveen, while issuing NBW, said that I am satisfied that the presence of accused Sumit Chadha cannot be secured through the ordinary process. NBWs are ordered against accused Sumit Chadha for his arrest and production before this Court accordingly.”
Earlier, after going through the supplementary prosecution complaint (charge sheet) recently filed by ED in a money laundering case, the court said, “Having heard the Special Public Prosecutors for ED and perused the contents of the supplementary complaint, the court said there is sufficient ground for the summoning of accused C.C. Thampi (UAE-based NRI) and Sumit Chadha (UK national) as per the complaint. Summons be issued for the appearance of accused C.C. Thampi”.

In accordance with the first proviso of Section 44 of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002, the Enforcement Directorate has filed a supplementary chargesheet against accused C.C. Thampi and accused Sumit Chadha, respectively, for the commission of an offense defined by Section 3 of the PMLA, 2002 and punishable by Section 4 of the PMLA, 2002. The ED claims that accused Sanjay Bhandari engaged a number of people based in the UK and the UAE to buy multiple properties outside of India, thereby creating a web of entities. Examining the various emails that were sent and kept on file reveals that accused C.C. Thampi and Sumit Chadha were close associates of accused Sanjay Bhandari and collaborated on projects together.