ED files fresh case against firm ‘linked to Vadra’
NEW DELHI: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has filed a fresh money-laundering case against a firm allegedly linked with Robert Vadra, brother-in-law of Congress president Rahul Gandhi, agency officials said on Monday.
The case, under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, has been filed on the basis of an FIR registered by the Haryana police in September last year. According to the FIR, Skylight Hospitality Pvt Ltd, a firm allegedly linked to Vadra, struck a deal with Onkareshwar Properties, for a 3.5-acre piece of land in Gurgaon’s Sector 83 in 2008.
Bhupinder Singh Hooda of the Congress was the chief minister of the state then, holding the portfolio of town and county planning department as well. State police alleged that later Skylight Hospitality sold that piece of land to realty major DLF at a price of ₹58 crore, after procuring a commercial licence for the development of a colony due to the alleged influence of Hooda. Police said the company made a profit of ~50 crore on the deal.
Vadra has repeatedly denied charges of any wrongdoing. The Congress has termed the action against Vadra as political vendetta due to the BJP’s electoral losses in Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh.
Vadra is already under probe by the ED over some transactions in connection with suspected defence deals. Last month, the agency conducted searches over the matter. Besides, ED is probing money-laundering charges in connection with some land deals in Bikaner, Rajasthan.