The Rajasthan High Court on Monday lifted its earlier order for “no coercive action” against Robert Vadra in the Bikaner land deal case, while asking the partners of his firm Sky Light Hospitality Private Limited to cooperate with the Enforcement Directorate in the investigation.
Mr. Vadra and his mother Maureen Vadra, as Directors of Sky Light Hospitality, will appear before the Directorate on February 12 in response to its summons, as per the court’s order.
The ED had issued three summons — the last on November 30, 2018 — asking Mr. Vadra to appear before the Investigating Officer in the money laundering case related to the land deal for questioning.
However, the stay on Mr. Vadra’s arrest in the case will continue till further orders. During the hearing on a petition filed by Sky Light Hospitality, Justice Pushpendra Singh Bhati at the High Court’s principal seat in Jodhpur maintained the stay order on the arrest granted earlier.
Appearing for the Union government, Additional Solicitor General Rajdeepak Rastogi said no FIR had been registered, no accused has been named or charges finalised and only an investigation by the ED was in progress at present. He contended that the process of probe could not be stopped at this stage.
When Sky Light Hospitality’s counsel Kuldeep Mathur cited an exigency in Mr. Vadra’s family, the court gave liberty to the two sides to fix the date for appearance after discussion between the lawyers. Accordingly, February 12 was determined as the date for appearance before the ED.
The ED had registered the case under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act in 2015, taking cognisance of FIRs registered by the Rajasthan police in connection with the deal for 69.55 acres of land in the Kolayat area of Bikaner district. It was alleged that Sky Light Hospitality had purchased the land at the rate of ₹1 lakh per hectare in 2010 and sold it in two stages to Allegeny Finlease Private Limited in 2012 at ₹7.41 lakh per hectare.
Sky Light Hospitality is being investigated as there is suspicion that it had fraudulently acquired the land which was meant for rehabilitation of poor villagers. The Rajasthan police had registered the case against the firm in August 2014 after the Bharatiya Janata Party came to power at the Centre.