The Delhi High Court on Monday issued a notice to businessman Robert Vadra and his aide Manoj Arora on a plea filed by the Enforcement Directorate against the anticipatory bail given to them in a money laundering case, ANI reported. Vadra has been directed to file his response by July 17.
The Enforcement Directorate moved the court on Friday against the anticipatory bail granted to the two by a special Central Bureau of Investigation court on April 1.
The directorate told the court that the CBI judge had failed to consider the settled position of law that bail should not be “granted in a routine manner”. The agency also claimed that Vadra was non-cooperative during the inquiry, and may tamper with evidence.
The CBI judge had imposed restrictions on Vadra’s travel and asked him to seek permission before flying abroad. On May 21, Vadra moved a Delhi court seeking permission to travel abroad.
The Enforcement Directorate’s investigation is related to allegations that Vadra, who is Congress President Rahul Gandhi’s brother-in-law, used laundered money to buy real estate in the United Kingdom. Vadra appeared before the Enforcement Directorate in Delhi several times for questioning in February. The investigating agency has alleged that the property, worth £1.9 million (Rs 17.5 crore), was bought using profits from “criminal acts”. The money was reportedly channelled through the United Arab Emirates. The investigation is being conducted under the provisions of the Black Money Act.
Vadra had filed the anticipatory bail application alleging that he was being subjected to “unwarranted, unjustified and malicious criminal prosecution”, which he alleged was politically motivated. He is also being investigated in the Bikaner land scam case under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act.
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