The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has issued a fresh summons to businessman Robert Vadra, husband of Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, in connection with a money laundering investigation related to UK-based arms dealer Sanjay Bhandari, official sources said on Monday.
According to sources, Vadra has been directed to appear before the federal agency in New Delhi on June 17 for questioning and the recording of his statement under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).
This summons follows his earlier absence on June 10, when he was initially asked to depose before the ED. Vadra, 56, had informed the agency that he was experiencing flu-like symptoms on June 9 and had taken a COVID-19 test as per health protocols. His lawyer clarified at the time that Vadra was not trying to evade the summons and remained willing to appear either before or after his scheduled travel abroad later in the month. The ED is expected to record Vadra’s statement as part of its ongoing investigation and is likely preparing to file a chargesheet in the case.
Also Read: Day 2: ED grills Vadra for 5 hrs; called again on Thursday
Robert Vadra has already faced interrogation by the agency on multiple occasions. In April, he was questioned over three consecutive days in another money laundering case concerning alleged irregularities in a 2008 land deal in Haryana. He is currently under investigation in three separate money laundering cases by the ED.
The Sanjay Bhandari case dates back to 2016, when the Income Tax Department raided Bhandari's premises in Delhi. Shortly afterward, Bhandari fled India and took refuge in London. In a recent development, a UK court rejected the Indian government's request to appeal to Britain's Supreme Court against Bhandari’s discharge from an extradition case—effectively dashing hopes of bringing him back to India to face legal proceedings.
In 2023, the ED filed a chargesheet alleging that Bhandari had purchased a property at 12, Bryanston Square, London in 2009, and subsequently renovated it “as per the directions of Robert Vadra.” The agency claims that Vadra also provided funds for the renovation. Vadra, however, has categorically denied owning any property in London, either directly or indirectly. Calling the charges a “political witch hunt,” he has asserted that he is being “hounded and harassed” to serve political objectives.
In addition to the Sanjay Bhandari case, Vadra is also under investigation in another money laundering case involving alleged financial irregularities in a land transaction in Bikaner, Rajasthan.
Also Read: ED records Robert Vadra's statement in Haryana land deal
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