Robert Vadra Questioned For 6 Hours In Land Case, Called Again Tomorrow

The Enforcement Directorate has questioned businessman and Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra's husband Robert Vadra for over six hours in a money laundering case related to a 2008 land deal in Haryana. The development came on a day when it was revealed that Mr Vadra's in-laws and senior Congress leaders Sonia and Rahul Gandhi were named by the probe agency in a chargesheet related to the alleged National Herald money laundering case. 

Mr Vadra appeared before the ED's Delhi office around 11 am on Tuesday, after being summoned for the second time, and left after 6 pm. He has been summoned again on Wednesday. 

The 56-year-old businessman had not appeared before the probe agency on April 8, when the last summons was issued. 

On Tuesday morning, Mr Vadra walked 2 km from his residence at Central Delhi's Sujan Singh Park to the ED headquarters on APJ Abdul Kalam Road. Speaking to reporters on the way, the businessman pointed out that the case was nearly 20 years old and hit out at the BJP, alleging he was being targeted as part of a "political vendetta". 

"Whenever I speak in the interests of the people or of minorities, on the shortcomings of the government, or even hint that I am thinking of entering politics, they begin misusing central investigative agencies. There is nothing in the case. It does not take 20 years to find something. I have been there (to investigating agencies' offices) 15 times, been questioned for more than 10 hours (at a time) and submitted 23,000 documents. Then they ask me to resubmit 23,000 documents in a week. How can it work like this?" Mr Vadra said in Hindi. 

"This is nothing but political vendetta," he claimed.

Stepping out of the ED's office for lunch, Mr Vadra said he was ready to answer all questions, but the case needed to reach a logical conclusion. "How can you be talking about something that happened so long ago," he asked.

The Case

Skylight Hospitality Pvt Ltd, a company in which Mr Vadra was a director, had bought 3.5 acres of land in Gurugram in Haryana - ruled by the Congress at the time, with Bhupinder Hooda as the chief minister - from a firm named Onkareshwar Properties for Rs 7.5 crore in 2007.

Four years later, after getting permission to develop an apartment complex, the land was sold to real estate major DLF for Rs 58 crore. After the deal was flagged by IAS officer Ashok Khemka, the BJP alleged corruption had taken place and that land was "stolen" from farmers to give to Mr Vadra.

The businessman had consistently denied the allegations, as has Mr Hooda.