New Delhi: Businessman Robert Vadra, the brother-in-law of Congress chief Rahul Gandhi, has appeared before the Enforcement Directorate for questioning in a money laundering case. He
was asked to join investigation by a Delhi court when he had applied for anticipatory bail last week. The court has given him immunity from arrest till February 16.
Robert Vadra is being questioned in a case involving purchase of a series of properties in the UK. A court has given him immunity from arrest till February 16, but also asked that he join
the investigation.
Vadra, who is also the son-in-law of Congress leader and UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi, has said he is being subjected to “unwarranted, unjustified and malicious criminal prosecution” for
political reasons. His wife and Rahul Gandhi’s sister, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, recently joined active politics as a general secretary of the Congress.
In a big signal to the BJP, which has been targeting her over the allegations against her husband, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra dropped him off at the agency’s South Delhi office on Wednesday.
“I stand by my husband,” she told NDTV, adding that she wanted to send a “clear message” by her appearance at the ED office.
The case involves nine London-based properties allegedly owned by Vadra. Three of these are villas, the rest luxury flats – all purchased between 2005 and 2010. The agency has also
told the court that two of the houses are worth around 9 million pounds (approximately Rs. 83 crore).
“We just want him to come and inform about his properties,” the Enforcement Directorate counsel had said in the court.
Sources told NDTV that the questioning will also involve his relation with Manoj Arora, and he will be confronted with his emails and statement made under the Prevention of Money
Laundering Act.
Manoj Arora, an employee of Vadra’s firm Skylight Hospitality, is a key person in the case. He was aware of Vadra’s undeclared assets overseas and was instrumental in arranging funds,
the agency has alleged.
Vadra would also be asked about the alleged kickbacks received during the UPA government in defence and petroleum deals, sources in the agency said.
“Gone are days where he possessed only one property in London. Now it is eight properties, each costlier than the other… One is worth 1.89 million pounds (about Rs. 17 crore),” said the
BJP’s Sambit Patra. All this, he said, was funded by kickbacks when the UPA was in power.
Quoting an e-mail trail, Patra said the funds cane from a series of companies floated to “turn black money into white”.
There are also allegations that Vadra received undue favours in terms of property from the Haryana government under Bhupinder Hooda.
