Robert Vadra continues to be grilled by ED.
Keeping the heat on Congress party in relation to Robert Vadra's questioning by Enforcement Directorate (ED), the BJP on Thursday listed nine emails that the party alleged were exchanged between Vadra and Sumit Chadha, a relative of arms dealer Sanjay Bhandari, regarding properties in London.
Alleging that the Gandhi family owns five properties in London, BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra said these emails were exchanged between March 8, 2010 and April 17, 2010.
Robert Vadra grilled for six hours on Day 2, leaves from ED office with Priyanka Gandhi
"The first email has been sent by Sumit Chadha, who is relative of arms dealer Sanjay Bhandari. He has sent it to Robert Vadra only... What tiles should be used in kitchen? How would the bathroom look? All of it is in this email," Patra said.
The email also discussed issues related to painting at one property in London, Patra added.
Vadra, husband of Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, has denied allegations of possessing illegal foreign assets and termed the charges a political witch hunt against him. He has said he was being "hounded and harassed" to subserve political ends.
After first day of his questioning by ED, his lawyer had said Wednesday night that Vadra had replied to every question put to him.
"All charges against him are wrong. We will cooperate with the agency 100 per cent. He will come whenever he is called," lawyer Suman Jyoti Khaitan had told reporters.
As Vadra's questioning continued for second day Thursday, Patra also talked about another email allegedly sent by Vadra on April 15, 2010, saying Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra's husband wrote in that email: "Hi, was not aware that nothing has reached you. Will look into it at the morning and let Manoj sort it out. Will be in London soon too. You take care." Patra claimed "Vadra is explaining that he didn't know that the money has not reached Chadha so he would ask Manoj to immediately sort this out".
"Who is this Manoj? Yesterday, we saw in news that Vadra has accepted that Manoj is his employee and Manoj used to write emails for him. This establishes a complete trail between Mr B, Deltabhandari, Manoj and Robert Vadra," he claimed.
Patra alleged some mails were marked to an email ID deltabhandari@hotmail.com, and said Congress president Rahul Gandhi needs to answer who were Mr M, Mr B and Deltabhandari.
The BJP spokesperson also listed five properties on London that he alleged were owned by the Gandhi family as per media reports.
"The address of five properties have come before us through media... One is on Wellington Road at St John's Wood in London. This property's cost is around Rs 37 crore. Second property has flat numbers 18, 20, 22, 24, 26 and 28 and it is on Saratoga Road in London. It looks like there is a property of Gandhi family on each road of London," he alleged.
"You want a house at every place in London so that you can enjoy. You will come here to do photo-ops among the poor of this country. In this new India, every person, big or small, the law will work for everyone the same way," he said.
"Gandhi family will also have to bow down in front of law. The law won't bow to them... The accused have to come before the law and we are seeing that they are coming every day before ED now," he said.
"Rahul Gandhi has said today that if we come to power, we will pick each such RSS person (from the institution) and throw him out. You will throw each RSS or BJP person out, because you need place to keep Rohingyas or Bangladeshis... This is your motive," Patra alleged.
With key inputs from Raju Raj
1. Here's the letter between Robert Vadra and Sumit Chadha
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2. Robert Vadra's lawyer slams ED
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The Enforcement Directorate (ED) is leaking information about its questioning of Congress president Rahul Gandhi's brother-in-law Robert Vadra, alleged the businessman's lawyer.
KTS Tulsi told reporters here that the ED has nothing concrete against his client.
Vadra, is being questioned by the probe agency for the second consecutive day in connection to a money laundering case.
He was questioned for around six hours for the first time in the case on Wednesday. The probe agency has alleged that Vadra owns several properties in the United Kingdom.
"The first principle of any investigation is that it's confidential. But ED here is leaking information as they know they have nothing to be investigated. They are calling people only to bring bad name to them," Tulsi told reporters here on Thursday.
The senior Congress lawyer asserted that justice was being delayed and denied.
3. Day 2 of Vadra grilling
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Robert Vadra, Congress chief Rahul Gandhi's brother-in-law, was questioned by Enforcement Directorate for the second day on Thursday, for over six hours, in connection with a probe into allegations he laundered money to purchase illegal foreign assets.
Official sources said Vadra was required to rejoin the probe on Thursday as he needed to answer more questions on allegedly acquiring immovable assets in the United Kingdom.
They said the questioning of Vadra is underway and it is understood that he is being "confronted with" documents that the agency has obtained or seized as part of its probe in the case, including those linked to absconding defence dealer Sanjay Bhandari.
Vadra has also shared documents with the investigating officer of the case and has assured some more will be provided as and when he gets them, the sources said.
He was grilled for five-and-a half hours for the first time in the case on Wednesday. His lawyer said Wednesday night that Vadra had replied to every question put to him.
On Thursday, Vadra arrived at the ED office in Jamnagar House in central Delhi in an SUV at about 11.25 am, about an hour after his team of lawyers reached there.
After two hours of questioning, he left for lunch and returned about an hour later to resume the session.
The ED case against Vadra relates to allegations of money laundering in the purchase of a London-based property located at 12, Bryanston Square worth 1.9 million GBP (British pounds), which is allegedly owned by him.
The agency has told a Delhi court that it has received information about various new properties in London which belong to Vadra. These include two houses, one worth 5 million GBP and the other valued at 4 million GBP, six other flats and more properties.
Vadra has denied the allegations of possessing illegal foreign assets and termed them a political witch hunt against him. He said he was being "hounded and harassed" to subserve political ends.
Vadra's lawyer K T S Tulsi told reporters outside the ED office Thursday his client has not committed any wrongdoing.
A team of three ED officials, including the investigating officer of the case, has put across about two dozen questions to Vadra over two days.
His statement is being recorded under Section 50 (powers of authorities regarding summons, production of documents and to give evidence) of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, as was done on Wednesday, the sources added.
His appearance before the ED acquired political overtones after his wife Priyanka Gandhi, appointed Congress general secretary in-charge of eastern Uttar Pradesh, accompanies him to the investigating agency's office on Wednesday. She took charge of her new post at the Congress national headquarters on Akbar Road shortly after that.
"He is my husband, he is my family...I support my family," Priyanka Gandhi said in a show of support to Vadra, who had returned from London earlier on Wednesday.
That was the first time Vadra had appeared before any probe agency in connection with alleged dubious financial dealings.
On February 2, he was directed by a Delhi court to appear before the central probe agency and cooperate in the probe after he knocked on its door seeking anticipatory bail in the money laundering case.
In December last year, the ED conducted raids in the case and grilled his close aide Manoj Arora, an employee of Skylight Hospitality LLP, a firm linked to Vadra, as well as others.
The agency told the court that it filed a PMLA case against Arora after his role cropped up during the probe of another case by the Income Tax Department under the 2015 anti-black money legislation against Bhandari.
It alleged that the London-based property was bought by Bhandari for 1.9 million GBP and sold in 2010 for the same amount despite incurring additional expenses of approximately 65,900 GBP on its renovation.
Seizing on the questioning of Vadra, the BJP has attacked the Congress and alleged he got kickbacks from a petroleum and a defence deal during the UPA rule.
Vadra is also expected to present himself before ED on February 12 in Jaipur in an unrelated money-laundering case related to a land scam in Bikaner. The Rajasthan High Court has directed him to cooperate with the agency in the case.
4. Vadra gets over 40 questions
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Congress leader Sonia Gandhi's son-in-law Robert Vadra Wednesday appeared before the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in connection with a money laundering probe case relating to alleged possession of illegal foreign assets.
Vadra's wife Priyanka Gandhi accompanied him, in a white Toyota Land Cruiser along with SPG personnel in tow, and dropped him outside the agency's office in Jamnagar House in central Delhi. She soon left in her convoy of vehicles.
Details from Robert Vadra’s questioning accessed by Zee Media
Seven people including Deputy Director Rajeev Sharma and Assistant Director ML Sharma of the ED team grilled Robert Vadra.
He was asked more than 40 questions. He was asked about the mail trail with Sanjay Bhandari. He was asked about his business relations with C Thampi including how shares from his company were transferred to his.
A list of questions asked
How much property do you own London?
What’s your relation with Sanjay Bhandari?
Who owns the six flats and two houses in London?
Sanjay Bhandari bought flats in London and then sold them. How did the amount end up in your account?
Did Manoj Arora send an email to Bhandari’s man?
What does Manoj Arora do and how did he get so much money to buy properties in London?
