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ROBERT Vadra Is In Soup After ED Questioned Him About His Alleged Properties In London. He denies Charges

ROBERT Vadra, 49 years old brother-in-law of AICC President Rahul Gandhi, was quizzed by the Enforcement Directorate for several hours on Wednesday and Thursday for allegedly owning palatial houses in London. He has denied the accusation; sources say .Vadra also denied knowing any person the agency says was involved in the deals. Robert Vadra was quizzed by the agency after a court asked that he join the investigation after granting him anticipatory bail. On Wednesday, he was dropped to the central Delhi office of the agency by wife Priyanka Gandhi Vadra who is AICC General Secretary. The court has granted him immunity from arrest till February 16. He has called the cases against him a political witch-hunt. He left the agency’s office close to 10 pm, nearly six hours after he went inside. Vadra’s lawyer, after his questioning said, the businessman has signed an undertaking that he will appear for questioning whenever summoned. The case involves nine London-based properties allegedly owned by Vadra worth several million pounds. Three of these are villas, the rest luxury flats purchased between 2005 and 2010.  Sources said Mr Vadra has denied any association with absconding arms dealer Sanjay. Robert Vadra appeared before Enforcement Directorate (ED) for round two of questioning on Thursday minutes after Karti Chidambaram reached the office in connection with INX Media case. A day earlier, Vadra was questioned by the Enforcement Directorate for about five-and-a half hours in its money laundering probe into alleged possession of illegal foreign assets, days after he was directed by a city court to appear before the central probe agency. Priyanka was asked by newsmen at the All India Congress Committee headquarters whether she was sending any message by dropping her husband at the ED office. Asked if it was a political vendetta, she said everyone knows why this is being done. It is for the first time that controversial Vadra son-in-law of Sonia Gandhi appeared before any probe agency in connection with alleged criminal charges of dubious financial dealings. .Vadra has denied allegations of possessing illegal foreign assets and termed them a political witch hunt against him. He has alleged he was being “hounded and harassed” to subserve political ends. Ahead of the questioning by a team of three ED officials, official sources said Vadra was put through a dozen questions on transactions, purchase and possession of certain immovable assets in London and his statement was recorded under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act. It is understood he was also grilled about his links with absconding and controversial defence dealer Sanjay Bhandari and Bhandari’s relative Sumit Chhadha in connection with certain emails recovered by agencies linked to the renovation of a London-based property. Vadra was directed by a Delhi court on February 2 to cooperate with the probe being carried out by ED after he knocked at its door seeking anticipatory bail in the money laundering case. The court directed him to appear before ED on Wednesday on his return from London.

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