Robert Vadra Skips ED Summons Again, Cites Daughter’s Graduation Abroad

GG News Bureau
New Delhi, 17th June: Robert Vadra, businessman and husband of Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi, has once again skipped a summons issued by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in connection with an ongoing money laundering probe. The investigation is linked to fugitive arms dealer Sanjay Bhandari.

According to sources, Vadra is currently abroad to attend his daughter’s graduation ceremony. He had previously missed a summons on June 10, citing flu-like symptoms. The agency had issued fresh summons for Tuesday, June 17, instructing Mr. Vadra to join the investigation in Delhi.

The ED’s probe centers on alleged links between Mr. Vadra and two London properties reportedly acquired by Sanjay Bhandari: one at 12, Bryanston Square, and another at Grosvenor Hill Court, 13 Bourdon Street. Officials claim the Bryanston Square property was renovated under Mr. Vadra’s directions and funded by him, and that he resided there on multiple occasions. These properties, along with certain land parcels in India, are being investigated as alleged “proceeds of crime” under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).

The money laundering case was filed by the agency in 2016. Another key figure in the case is NRI businessman C.C. Thampi, who was arrested in 2020. Authorities allege that Mr. Thampi played a significant role in facilitating property deals for Mr. Vadra through a Dubai-based company.

Sanjay Bhandari, a 61-year-old fugitive arms dealer, is currently under investigation by multiple agencies, including the ED, CBI, Income Tax Department, and Delhi Police, for alleged violations ranging from foreign exchange laws to the Official Secrets Act. Indian authorities have sent two extradition requests for Mr. Bhandari, both certified by then UK Home Secretary Priti Patel in 2020. Although he was arrested in the UK, his extradition was blocked earlier this year by the King’s Bench Division of the UK High Court, citing potential risks of mistreatment in Indian prisons.

Vadra has consistently denied any direct or indirect connection to the allegations, labeling the charges a “political witch hunt” and claiming he is being “hounded and harassed.”