Jaipur: Robert Vadra and his mother Maureen appeared before the Enforcement Directorate at its zonal office in Jaipur in connection with a probe into an alleged land scam in the Rajasthan's border town of Bikaner. Priyanka Gandhi accompanied them to the office.
Slogans of ‘Priyanka Gandhi Zindabad' and 'Chowkidar Chor Hai' were raised outside the ED office in Jaipur as the three arrived.
This is Vadra's fourth appearance before the agency in the last one week and the first in Jaipur. On the last three occasions, he appeared before ED in Delhi in connection with a money laundering probe against him for his alleged role in procuring assets in London.
Priyanka Gandhi had landed in Jaipur late on Monday night after completing her roadshow in Lucknow and will return after dropping the mothers-son duo at the ED office. On the first day of Vadra’s questioning in Delhi last week, Priyanka had accompanied him to the ED's office, sending a "clear message" that she “stands by her husband."
The Rajasthan High Court had asked Vadra and his mother to cooperate with the agency after they approached it seeking directions that no coercive action is taken against them by the agency, following which the duo appeared before the ED in Jaipur.
In the Bikaner case, the agency had summoned Vadra thrice but he failed to appear and later approached the court.
The ED had registered a criminal case in connection with the deal in 2015, taking cognisance of a clutch of FIRs and charge sheets filed by Rajasthan police after the tehsildar of Bikaner complained about alleged forgery in the allotment of land in the area, considered sensitive due to its proximity to the India-Pakistan border.
It is understood that the agency wants to question Vadra about the operations of a firm Ms Skylight Hospitality Private Limited allegedly linked to him, which had purchased land in the area. It also wants to confront Vadra with the statements of those said to be linked to him.
Comments
0 comment