ED raises heat on Robert Vadra with aides’ arrest in Bikaner land scam

NEW DELHI/ JAIPUR: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Friday said it has arrested two persons in connection with its money laundering probe in the Bikaner land scam case, which is allegedly linked to Robert Vadra, the brother-in-law of Congress President Rahul Gandhi. The agency said it has arrested the “main fraudster” in the case, Jaiprakash Bagarwa, and Ashok Kumar under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA). These are the first arrests in this case.

They were arrested from Rajasthan’s capital Jaipur on Thursday night and produced in a special court there on Friday, informed a senior official. “Ashok Kumar is a close associate of Mahesh Nagar of M/s Skylight Hospitality Private Ltd,” it said. Skylight Hospitality is a firm that has been alleged to be linked to Vadra. The agency had searched the premises of Kumar and Nagar in April this year.

It had said that in four cases of land purchase in Bikaner by this firm, the “authorised representative” was Nagar. Kumar, it has been alleged by the agency, purchased land in the same area using the “power of attorney” of others. It is also alleged that Kumar is a “close associate” of Nagar.

The ED probe is related to the purchase of 275 bigha land allegedly by the company in the Kolayat area of Bikaner a few years ago. The agency had also attached assets worth Rs 1.18 crore of government officials and others in connection with the case under the provisions of the PMLA.