ED sleuths swoop down on Vadra's associates

New Delhi: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) Friday carried out searches against three people linked to Robert Vadra, son-in-law of Congress leader Sonia Gandhi, in connection with its probe into alleged "commissions received by some suspects in defence deals" and illegal assets stashed abroad, officials said.

This is for the first time that Vadra's associates have been linked to alleged commissions received in defence deals by the Enforcement Directorate.

The raids that began around noon were carried out at multiple premises in Delhi-NCR and Bengaluru, they said.

"The searches were carried out at the premises of two employees of firms linked to Vadra and another person. These people are suspected to have received commissions out of a defence deal, and they subsequently invested these funds in procuring illegal assets abroad," ED sources claimed.