Delhi’s Rouse Avenue Court has approved confiscation of some properties of arms dealer Sanjay Bhandari. Sanjay Bhandari has been declared a fugitive economic offender. ED had sought confiscation by presenting a list of his properties located in India and abroad in the court. During the hearing of the case, the court of Special Judge Sanjay Jindal allowed the confiscation of many properties. The court has divided the assets into two categories, List A and List B. The assets included in List B will be considered in the next hearing on July 18.
Sanjay Bhandari was declared a fugitive economic offender last year. His appeal challenging this order was recently rejected by the Delhi High Court. During the hearing in the court on April 18, there was a debate on the ED’s demand for confiscation of properties, after which the special judge reserved his decision. In this case, senior lawyer Maninder Singh appeared on behalf of Sanjay Bhandari, who opposed the ED’s petition to confiscate the properties.
On behalf of ED, senior lawyer Zoheb Hussain and special public prosecutor N.K. Matta appeared in the court. He argued that it was necessary to seize properties directly linked to Sanjay Bhandari. The ED told the court that the purpose of the asset confiscation process is to ensure that the accused cannot flee the country to avoid trial and cannot influence the investigation process. The agency also said that such action strengthens the legal process in cases of economic offenses and helps in carrying out the investigation effectively.
Senior advocate Zoheb Hussain, appearing for ED, told the court that according to a list, there are properties linked to Sanjay Bhandari in India as well as in Dubai and Britain. Apart from this, benami properties have also been detected in Noida and Gurugram. The agency said several bank accounts, jewelery and cash in the name of Bhandari and his wife were also found. Real estate properties in areas like Vasant Vihar, Panchsheel Shopping Complex and Shahpur Jat of Delhi in India are also mentioned. It is noteworthy that Sanjay Bhandari was declared a fugitive economic offender on July 5, 2025. ED told the court that the next step in this case is to seize his properties, so that the investigation process can be taken forward and legal action can be taken effectively.
The ED alleged in the court that Sanjay Bhandari had deliberately tried to evade Indian legal process. According to the agency, he has foreign assets worth more than Rs 100 crore. The ED also said the UK court’s refusal to extradite Bhandari to India has no bearing on the ongoing proceedings of the case as both the proceedings are independent. The agency requested the court to identify and seize the assets, so that further investigation and legal action is not hampered.
The ED has claimed that the properties linked to Bhandari come under Indian law and hence their seizure is necessary. However, this petition was opposed by Bhandari. His lawyer, senior advocate Maninder Singh, argued that his stay in Britain is completely legal and this is supported by a judgment of the London High Court. The defense pointed out that the London High Court had refused his extradition citing security concerns in Tihar Jail. The lawyer also said that the ED’s plea is vague and the agency does not have proper jurisdiction in the case.
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