Rough Ride Ahead For Robert Vadra? After Gurugram Case Questioning, Chargesheets In Bikaner, Bhandari Cases Likely
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Robert Vadra, who has been questioned over the past three days in the Gurugram land scam case, could face chargesheets in the Bikaner land scam case and for his alleged links with fugitive arms dealer Sanjay Bhandari, say ED officials
Robert Vadra (PTI photo)
More trouble could be brewing for the Gandhi-Vadra family.
After naming Sonia Gandhi and her son Rahul Gandhi as accused in the National Herald case, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) is now preparing to file a prosecution complaint against businessman and Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi’s husband Robert Vadra in three cases.
Vadra, who has been questioned over the past three days in the Gurugram land scam case, could face chargesheets in the Bikaner land scam case and for his alleged links with fugitive arms dealer Sanjay Bhandari, ED officials said.
Elaborating on the steps the ED could take in the next few weeks, a senior ED official told CNN-News18, “Questioning of Robert Vadra is over in only one case. Other witnesses are to be examined and evidence has to be collected. There is a long way to go but that (chargesheet) is the direction.”
Vadra has been questioned for almost 18 hours in the past three days in the Gurgaon land scam case. He alleged that the ED has been repeating the same questions, which he has previously answered. “They are asking the same old questions again. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government in Haryana and Manohar Lal Khattar himself gave me a clean chit twice. All allegations are baseless. The ED has already taken all documents,” Vadra told News18.
BIKANER LAND SCAM
Vadra is accused of using forging documents to buy land meant for displaced people. The ED alleged that Vadra’s Skylight Hospitality bought 275 bighas of land for Rs 72 lakh and then sold it for Rs 5.2 crore. The proceeds of the crime were then allegedly laundered. The ED has already attached properties of Vadra in Delhi in this case.
SANJAY BHANDARI
Vadra has been accused of having links with fugitive arms dealer Sanjay Bhandari and his properties in London.
Bhandari allegedly bought these properties from kickbacks received in the Pilatus deal. India bought 75 trainer aircraft from Swiss company Pilatus.
The ED alleged that close to Rs 310 crore were paid as kickbacks, which were laundered by Bhandari and his associates.
The fresh chargesheet could detail the role that Vadra played in this alleged money laundering.