ED moves HC for Vadra custodial interrogation

JODHPUR: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has moved an application in the Rajasthan high court for the custodial interrogation of Robert Vadra, the son-in-law of Congress chief Sonia Gandhi, in connection with a land case in Bikaner that will be heard on Monday.

Earlier, the high court had restrained the ED from arresting the partners of Sky Light Hospitality Company. Robert Vadra and his mother Maureen Vadra are partners in the company. On January 21, 2019, the court directed both to appear before ED for questioning in the Bikaner land case. A counsel who appeared for Sky Light in the high court confirmed the ED’S application on condition of anonymity, and said that a reply was being filed. He said the ED has said that the investigation, which was in accordance with Section 2(NA) of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002, for collection of evidence was being stalled due to non-cooperation by the partners of the Sky Light Hospitality Company.

The ED is conducting an initial inquiry into a money laundering case in the Bikaner land case. The ED has registered an enforcement case information report in the case and summoned Vadra for questioning but in 2018 the firm approached Rajasthan high court against it.

Vadra’s lawyer KTS Tulsi said: “We are ready for arguments. We will argue when the matter is taken up by the court. We also have a recent Supreme Court judgment to support our contentions against the ED’S plea.”