New Delhi: The Enforcement Directorate on Thursday told the Delhi High Court that the “money trail is directly related to Robert Vadra” in a money laundering case against the son-in-law of Congress interim chief Sonia Gandhi.
“There is a money trail directly related to Robert Vadra. Direct payments were made into Pilatus,” said ED counsel DP Singh before a single judge bench presided by Justice Chandra Shekhar.
The court was hearing the petition filed by the agency seeking cancellation of bail granted to Vadra in a the money laundering case.
The agency also claimed that the custodial interrogation of Vadra is required.
Opposing the ED’s application, Vadra’s legal team said that their client has wilfully and voluntarily joined the investigation.
Earlier during the last hearing, Vadra had replied to ED’s plea stating that the agency had conducted fishing and roving enquiry and that it had no material to support the allegations made against him.
Vadra had also denied any kind of flight risk or tampering with evidence. He has said that the documents have been seized by the ED and there is no allegation of any tampering with evidence or influencing witnesses.
He had insisted in his reply that as far as flight risk was concerned, he had returned to India from abroad voluntarily upon reading reports that ED was investigating him. He further insisted that he volunteered to appear before the ED even before he received the summons and had been cooperative.
Vadra had said in his reply that he has “no properties outside India”, nor does he have “any beneficial ownership of any property outside India”. He has never received any ‘kickback’ for any ‘deal’ and any allegations of this nature are completely false,” he added. He had insisted that the “sole purpose of the agency is to cause prejudice in the mind of the court and the public” against him.
Detailed arguments, however, could not take place as Vadra’s main counsel KTS Tulsi was not present.
Following his unavailability, the court adjourned the matter for further arguments on November 5.