New Delhi: A Delhi court on Saturday granted interim bail till February 16 to Robert Vadra in a money-laundering case and asked him to appear before the Enforcement Directorate and cooperate in the investigation. Vadra, who is currently abroad, had on Friday filed an anticipatory bail application in the case linked to allegations of money laundering in the purchase of a London-based property — 12, Bryanston Square — worth 1.9 million pounds. The property is allegedly owned by Vadra, the brother-in-law of Congress president Rahul Gandhi. Vadra’s counsel informed the court that he will return to Delhi from London on February 6 and would join the probe. Taking note of the assurance by his counsel, special judge. Arvind Kumar directed Vadra to appear before ED after his return on February 6 and cooperate in the investigation. “I am granting him interim bail. Let him come and join the probe,” the judge said.
The court asked him to furnish a personal bond of Rs one lakh and a surety of like amount as a condition for securing interim bail. During the hearing, special public prosecutor D P Singh and advocate Nitesh Rana, appearing for ED, opposed Vadra’s anticipatory bail and claimed that he had also got kickbacks in a petroleum deal in 2009. The agency said it has received information about various new properties in London which belongs to Vadra including two houses of five and four million each, six other flats and more properties. “We just want him to come and inform about his properties,” Rana said. Vadra alleged that he is being “hounded and harassed” to subserve political ends. “It is stated the the petitioner has highest regard for the due process of law and is always willing to cooperate with the investigation in the highly charged political atmosphere and political contours of the present investigation, he seriously apprehends arrest by the investigating authorities and in such circumstances, the petitioner by means of the present petition is also praying that while he is willing to join investigation with the ED authorities,” his plea read.
Arora had alleged before the court that the case was foisted on him by the NDA government out of “political vendetta”.However, the ED had refuted the allegations, asking that “should no authority investigate any political bigwig because that will be called a political vendetta?”The agency had told the court that it lodged the money laundering case against Arora after his role came up during the probe of another case by the Income Tax Department under the newly enacted Black Money Act and tax law against absconding arms dealer Sanjay Bhandari. It had alleged that the London-based property was bought by Bhandari for GBP 1.9 million and sold in 2010 for the same amount despite incurring additional expenses of approximately GBP 65,900 on its renovation.”This gives credence to the fact that Bhandari was not the actual owner of the property but it was beneficially owned by Vadra who was incurring expenditure on the renovation of this property,” the ED had told the court.