ED grills Robert Vadra for over six hours in money laundering case, calls again tomorrow
PTC Web Desk: Businessman and Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra’s husband, Robert Vadra, was grilled for more than six hours by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Tuesday in connection with a money laundering probe tied to a 2008 land transaction in Haryana. The development coincided with the ED naming senior Congress leaders Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi—Vadra’s in-laws—in the National Herald money laundering case.
The 56-year-old Vadra arrived at the ED office on APJ Abdul Kalam Road around 11 am and left just after 6 pm, following a marathon session of questioning. This was his second summons in the matter, after failing to appear before the agency on April 8. He has been asked to appear again on Wednesday for further interrogation.
Making a visible statement, Vadra walked nearly 2 km from his residence in Sujan Singh Park, Central Delhi, to the ED headquarters. On the way, he addressed the media and criticised the ruling BJP, accusing the government of using investigative agencies for political retaliation.
“This case is nearly two decades old. Every time I raise my voice for the people or minorities, or even hint at entering politics, they start misusing investigative bodies,” Vadra remarked. “I have appeared before them 15 times, sat through interrogations for over 10 hours at a stretch, and submitted 23,000 documents. Now they ask for all the documents again in just one week. How is that even reasonable?”
During a brief break for lunch outside the ED office, Vadra reiterated that he was fully cooperating with the investigation but emphasised the need for a conclusive end to the matter. “How long can you keep digging into something that happened so long ago?” he asked.
The Case Background
The ED’s investigation centers on a 2007 land deal involving Skylight Hospitality Pvt Ltd, a company where Vadra served as director. The company purchased 3.5 acres of land in Gurugram, Haryana, from Onkareshwar Properties for Rs 7.5 crore. At the time, the Congress was in power in the state, led by then-Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda.
In 2011, the same land was sold to real estate giant DLF for Rs 58 crore. The transaction was flagged by senior IAS officer Ashok Khemka, following which the BJP alleged wrongdoing, claiming that the land was effectively taken from farmers and handed to Vadra through manipulated deals. Both Vadra and Bhupinder Hooda have strongly denied the corruption allegations.
- PTC NEWS
