Delhi court declares UK-based arms dealer Sanjay Bhandari fugitive economic offender
A Delhi court on Saturday declared United Kingdom-based arms dealer Sanjay Bhandari a fugitive economic offender in a case pertaining to tax evasion and money laundering, reported The Indian Express.
The order was passed by Additional Sessions Judge Sanjeev Aggarwal of Tis Hazari court on an application moved by the Enforcement Directorate under the Fugitive Economic Offenders Act, according to The Hindu.
It will enable the Enforcement Directorate to confiscate Bhandari’s assets worth crores of rupees.
Bhandari is accused of defrauding the Indian income tax authorities between July 1, 2015, and February 7, 2017, by submitting two tax returns in which he deliberately hid details about his foreign assets and foreign income. As a resident of India at the time, the 63-year-old was obligated to pay tax on all his global assets and income.
In 2016, Bhandari fled India for London, despite a lookout notice against him. In October 2016, a case was registered against him under the Official Secrets Act after confidential defence ministry documents were recovered from his residence during an Income Tax department raid.
The Enforcement Directorate had told a Delhi court in April that a court in the UK has rejected its appeal for Bhandari’s extradition.
In its application to declare the arms dealer a fugitive economic offender, the central agency claimed that the UK...
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