Robert Vadra grilled by ED sleuths for over five hours
NEW DELHI: Businessman Robert Vadra, the brother-in-law of Congress chief Rahul Gandhi, was grilled at the Enforcement Directorate office for over five hours on Wednesday in a money laundering case. Sources say Vadra has denied owning a series of properties in London during his questioning.
A court has given him immunity from arrest till February 16 but also asked that he join the investigation.
Vadra, who is also the son-in-law of Congress leader and UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi, has said he is being subjected to "unwarranted, unjustified and malicious criminal prosecution" for political reasons. His wife and Rahul Gandhi's sister, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, recently joined active politics as a general secretary of the Congress.
Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Wednesday strongly came out in support of her husband Robert Vadra, whom she dropped off at by the Enforcement Directorate's office for questioning in a money laundering case.
In an apparent political message, Priyanka Gandhi dropped off her husband before taking charge as the Congress general secretary at the AICC headquarters.
"He is my husband; he is my family...I support my family," she said when asked whether she was sending a message by dropping off her husband.
Asked if it was a political vendetta, she said that everyone knows why this is being done. The case pertains to money laundering and alleged possession of illegal foreign assets.
Priyanka Gandhi's show of support to her husband came days after an emotional message from Vadra on her appointment AICC general secretary in-charge of Uttar Pradesh east.
The case involves nine London-based properties allegedly owned by Vadra. Three of these are villas, the rest luxury flats - all purchased between 2005 and 2010. The agency has also told the court that two of the houses are worth around 9 million pounds (approximately Rs. 83 crore).
"We just want him to come and inform about his properties," the Enforcement Directorate counsel had said in the court.
