Glaring contradictions in Vadra's statements: ED
New Delhi: As a Delhi court granted permission for Robert Vadra to travel abroad for medical reasons and as Congress President Rahul Gandhi's brother-in-law deposed for the 13th time before the Enforcement Directorate in connection with his alleged purchase of benami properties in London, fresh details have emerged showing contradictions between his statements to investigators and ones given by his alleged associates in the case.
The ED had last month moved an application in the Delhi High Court, seeking cancellation of the anticipatory bail granted to Vadra, where the prosecutor appearing for the probe agency had submitted a note sheet, allegedly proving that he was being evasive with investigators in the case.
The document, accessed by Millennium Post reveals glaring contradictions in Vadra's replies to the ED, as compared to multiple responses by his alleged associates to questions pertaining to email communication and meetings that would allegedly establish a connection between Vadra and the accused in the case.
When asked about whether he knew one Sumit Chadha, who the BJP had claimed was a relative of absconding arms dealer Sanjay Bhandari, Vadra denied ever meeting him. However, the ED has claimed that his associates said Vadra knew Chadha through Sanjay Bhandari.
According to the ED, Bhandari-controlled-Santech International in UAE had purchased a mansion at 12, Bryanston Square in London with money paid as kickbacks for a 2009 petroleum deal by routing the money through Sharjah-based Skylight Investment, controlled by CC Thampi.
When Vadra was asked how he knew Thampi, he said that they met on board an Emirates flight. However, Thampi in his statement to the ED had said that the two met through Madhavan, PA to Sonia Gandhi. Thampi also stated that Vadra had stayed at the Bryanston Sq. Property, with the latter denying any such claims.
The ED further questioned Vadra about emails between him and Chadha. While Vadra agreed that the email id belonged to him, he denied that the emails were ever addressed to him.
More such contradictions came to light when Vadra was asked about whether RV stands for his name in email communications. As Vadra continued to deny even these claims, his alleged close aide and employee of a firm linked to his Skylight Hospitality confirmed to the ED that MRV stood for "Mr Robert Vadra".
While Vadra has maintained his innocence, these deposition transcripts from the ED seem to have put him in a bind with investigators probing the case.
