Robert Vadra was granted interim protection till 16 February in an alleged money-laundering case being investigated by the Enforcement Directorate. Vadra's lawyer KTS Tulsi assured the court that he will join the ED investigation on 6 February.
KTS Tulsi called the entire case a ‘witch-hunt and nothing else’. While speaking to the media, Tulsi said that the ED is unable to substantiate anything even after having access to the documents for years now.
He also alleged that it all is done because it is election season.
“All the documents, all bank details, lands acquired in India, lands sold in India – the entire record has been given to them years ago and they have not found anything wrong.”KTS Tulsi, Advocate
He also said that it was enquired in the court whether the ED wants to file a reply, which it did not.
“Court has given the date and time of 6 February at 4pm. Robert Vadra will come, he isa law abiding citizen,” he said.
The case relates to allegations of money laundering in the purchase of a London-based property – located at 12, Bryanston Square – worth 1.9 million pounds, which is allegedly owned by Vadra, husband of Congress’ eastern UP in-charge, Priyanka Gandhi, and brother-in-law of Congress President Rahul Gandhi.
A lawyer from the prosecution team confirmed that Vadra has sought anticipatory bail in the case, in which his close aide Manoj Arora was granted interim protection from arrest till February 6 by the court.
On 19 January, the ED had told the court that Arora was cooperating in the probe.
Arora had earlier alleged before the court that the case was foisted on him by the NDA government out of "political vendetta".
However, the ED had refuted the allegations, asking that "should no authority investigate any political bigwig because that will be called a political vendetta?" The agency had told the court that it lodged the money-laundering case against Arora after his role came up during the probe of another case by the Income Tax Department under the newly-enacted Black Money Act and tax law against absconding arms dealer Sanjay Bhandari.
It had alleged that the London-based property was bought by Bhandari for GBP 1.9 million and sold in 2010 for the same amount despite incurring additional expenses of approximately GBP 65,900 on its renovation.
"This gives credence to the fact that Bhandari was not the actual owner of the property but it was beneficially owned by Vadra who was incurring expenditure on the renovation of this property," the ED had told the court.
Arora, an employee of Vadra's Skylight Hospitality LLP, was a key person in the case and he was aware of the latter's overseas undeclared assets and was instrumental in arranging funds, ED had alleged.
In December, the ED had raided three properties owned by Vadra and his aides.
(With inputs from PTI and ANI)
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