New Delhi, Oct 16 (IANS): A Delhi court has taken cognisance of the Enforcement Directorate (ED) charge sheet against absconding arms dealer Sanjay Bhandari and others and directed the agency to expedite the process of his extradition from the United Kingdom.

ED officials said that the charge sheet was filed in connection with a money laundering case against him for alleged possession of undisclosed assets abroad on June 1 this year.

"A Rouse Avenue court on Thursday took cognisance of the charge sheet filed by ED against Bhandari and other co-conspirators, issued summons to the accused, and directed the ED to expedite the extradition plea against Bhandari pending before UK authorities so that he can be brought to India for trial in accordance with law."

According to ED officials, this is the first charge sheet against Bhandari, who fled to the UK in October 2016.

An ED statement said that a complaint under Section 51(1) of the Black Money (Undisclosed Foreign Income and Assets) and Imposition of Act, 2015 (Black Money Act) was filed against Bhandari in the lower court by Income Tax authorities in pursuance of proceedings initiated against him by the Income Tax Department under the said Act.

"It was revealed that Bhandari stashed black money abroad with the assistance of his accomplices to evade taxes, thereby causing huge financial loss to the exchequer," the ED said.

"Our investigation revealed that Bhandari owned assets abroad, incorporated various entities in UAE as owner or beneficiary and also had financial interest in an entity incorporated in Panama," the ED said.

The ED said that it was also revealed that all those foreign assets and entities were not disclosed by Bhandari to Income Tax authorities in India.

Bhandari is under probe by the Central Bureau of Investigation in a Rs 2,895-crore deal for 75 Pilatus basic trainer aircraft for the Indian Air Force in 2009. An Interpol red notice is pending against him.

Bhandari is also under probe in Robert Vadra's alleged London properties case.