The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has issued a fresh summons to Robert Vadra, husband of Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi, for questioning in connection with a money laundering case associated with UK-based arms consultant Sanjay Bhandari. According to official sources on Monday, Vadra is to appear for questioning today.
Sources indicate that he is instructed to present himself before the investigation agency on Tuesday to record his statement in this PMLA case.
Absent from June 10 Inquiry
Previously, Vadra was summoned for questioning on June 10, which he did not attend. Vadra cited flu-like symptoms on June 9 and had a COVID test per regulations.
His lawyer stated that Vadra has no intention of avoiding the summons and is ready to appear before the ED at any time before or after his planned foreign trip later this month.
The agency is believed to have summoned Vadra to record his statement under PMLA, followed by filing a chargesheet in the case.
Investigations Continue in 3 Money Laundering Cases
In fact, in April, Vadra was interrogated for three consecutive days by the agency regarding alleged anomalies in a 2008 land deal in Haryana. The ED's inquiry extends across three money laundering cases.
Meanwhile, after the Income Tax Department's raid in Delhi, the accused Sanjay Bhandari fled to London in 2016. Recently, a UK court denied India's request to appeal to the Supreme Court over Bhandari's discharge in the extradition case, making his return to India unlikely.
Summons Filed by ED in 2023
It should be noted that ED filed a chargesheet in this case in 2023, alleging that Bhandari bought a house at 12, Bryanston Square, London, in 2009 and funded its renovation at Vadra’s behest.
However, Vadra has denied having any direct or indirect properties in London and described the allegations as a political conspiracy, accusing it of being an attempt to harass him for political gains.
The ED is also investigating Vadra in a separate money laundering case involving suspected financial irregularities in a land deal in Bikaner, Rajasthan.
