The Enforcement Directorate on May 24 moved the Delhi High Court seeking cancellation of anticipatory bail granted to Robert Vadra in a money laundering case. Mr.Vadra was granted anticipatory bail by a trial court here on April 1.
The plea filed by the public prosecutor D P Singh said the protection granted to Vadra would interfere with the ongoing investigation. It is likely to be listed for hearing on Monday.
Besides Mr. Vadra, the agency has also challenged the anticipatory bail granted to Manoj Arora, an employee of Mr. Vadra’s Skylight Hospitality LLP and a co-accused in the case.
Mr. Vadra is facing allegations of money laundering in purchase of a London-based property at 12, Bryanston Square worth 1.9 million pounds.
The trial court, while granting Mr. Vadra relief, had directed him not to leave the country without prior permission and also to join the investigation as and when called by the investigating officer. It had further noted that he had filed application for anticipatory bail on February 1 and on February 6 he was directed to join the investigation.
In his application, Mr. Vadra had alleged that he was being subjected to “unwarranted, unjustified and malicious criminal prosecution which on the face of it is completely politically motivated and is being carried out for reasons other than those prescribed under law“.
The ED had opposed Mr. Vadra’s application, saying he “needed to be dealt with custodial interrogation and that there was a risk of tampering with the investigation“. The ED had also alleged that Mr. Arora, a close aide of Mr. Vadra, was aware of his overseas undeclared assets and was instrumental in arranging funds.
According to the ED, it lodged the money laundering case against Mr. 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 said that the London-based property was bought by Bhandari for £1.9 million and sold in 2010 for the same amount despite incurring additional expenses of approximately £65,900 on its renovation.
The agency also said that it has received information about various new properties in London which allegedly belong to Mr. Vadra, including two houses of five and four million pounds each and six other flats.