NEW DELHI: Businessman Robert Vadra appeared before the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in Delhi for the third straight day on Thursday. Vadra was accompanied by his wife and Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi .
The third summons issued follows a money laundering probe linked to a 2008 land deal in Haryana.
Vadra arrived at the ED office shortly after 11 am. The agency is questioning him in connection with alleged irregularities in a land purchase made by Skylight Hospitality Pvt Ltd, a company in which Vadra was previously a director.
Over the past two days, he has already been questioned for more than ten hours. Officials said the process of recording his statement under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) would continue.
The case centres on a land deal in Gurugram’s Manesar-Shikohpur (now Sector 83), where Skylight Hospitality bought 3.5 acres from Onkareshwar Properties for Rs 7.5 crore in February 2008. In 2012, the company sold the same land to real estate giant DLF for Rs 58 crore. The deal was struck when the Congress government, led by Bhupinder Singh Hooda, was in power in Haryana.
The deal first came under scrutiny in October 2012, when IAS officer Ashok Khemka, then heading the state’s Land Consolidation and Registration Department, cancelled the land mutation, citing violations of the state’s consolidation laws.
An FIR was later filed by the Haryana Police in 2018, and the ED began investigating alleged money laundering linked to the transaction. The BJP, then in opposition, had called it a case of “corruption” and “nepotism,” pointing to Vadra’s ties to the Gandhi family.
On Thursday, Vadra condemned the agencies for allegedly not summoning any BJP ministers, questioning the authorities on why they haven't been called yet.
"This is political vendetta . Agencies are being misused. This is wrong. How will there be trust in agencies when they are after any candidates for the CM position in the country or when a party is doing well? Which BJP minister or member has been summoned by the ED? Why has none of them been summoned? Is everyone in BJP good? Do they not have any allegations against them? There are several allegations...I am someone who would emerge stronger if you put pressure on or harassed me. I have the strength of people with me, people are connected with me, I speak for them when injustice is done to people by this party. I am against injustice. I will continue to fight, no one can stop me," Vadra said.
Vadra has dismissed the investigation as politically motivated. “Whenever I talk for the people, they will try to suppress me. It’s a political vendetta. They misuse the power of the probing agencies. I do not have any fear, as I have nothing to hide,” he said outside the ED office earlier this week.
He added, “There is nothing in the case… I have been summoned 15 times and interrogated for more than 10 hours every time for the last 20 years. Organising 23,000 documents is not easy.”
On Tuesday, Congress supporters gathered outside the ED office raised slogans, alleging the government was misusing agencies to target opposition leaders. “Jab jab Modi darta hai, ED ko aage karta hai,” they chanted.
The third summons issued follows a money laundering probe linked to a 2008 land deal in Haryana.
Vadra arrived at the ED office shortly after 11 am. The agency is questioning him in connection with alleged irregularities in a land purchase made by Skylight Hospitality Pvt Ltd, a company in which Vadra was previously a director.
#WATCH | Delhi: Businessman Robert Vadra folds his hands, waves at media and shows a thumbs-up sign as he enters the ED office for the third consecutive day in connection with the Gurugram land case.
— ANI (@ANI) April 17, 2025
His wife, Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra is also with him. pic.twitter.com/HANE8tfzbr
Over the past two days, he has already been questioned for more than ten hours. Officials said the process of recording his statement under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) would continue.
The case centres on a land deal in Gurugram’s Manesar-Shikohpur (now Sector 83), where Skylight Hospitality bought 3.5 acres from Onkareshwar Properties for Rs 7.5 crore in February 2008. In 2012, the company sold the same land to real estate giant DLF for Rs 58 crore. The deal was struck when the Congress government, led by Bhupinder Singh Hooda, was in power in Haryana.
The deal first came under scrutiny in October 2012, when IAS officer Ashok Khemka, then heading the state’s Land Consolidation and Registration Department, cancelled the land mutation, citing violations of the state’s consolidation laws.
An FIR was later filed by the Haryana Police in 2018, and the ED began investigating alleged money laundering linked to the transaction. The BJP, then in opposition, had called it a case of “corruption” and “nepotism,” pointing to Vadra’s ties to the Gandhi family.
On Thursday, Vadra condemned the agencies for allegedly not summoning any BJP ministers, questioning the authorities on why they haven't been called yet.
"This is political vendetta . Agencies are being misused. This is wrong. How will there be trust in agencies when they are after any candidates for the CM position in the country or when a party is doing well? Which BJP minister or member has been summoned by the ED? Why has none of them been summoned? Is everyone in BJP good? Do they not have any allegations against them? There are several allegations...I am someone who would emerge stronger if you put pressure on or harassed me. I have the strength of people with me, people are connected with me, I speak for them when injustice is done to people by this party. I am against injustice. I will continue to fight, no one can stop me," Vadra said.
#WATCH | Delhi: On ED summon to him and his questioning in Gurugram land case, businessman Robert Vadra says, "This is political vendetta. Agencies are being misused. This is wrong. How will there be trust in agencies when they are after any candidates for the CM position in the… pic.twitter.com/45ZCJQEfNC
— ANI (@ANI) April 17, 2025
Vadra has dismissed the investigation as politically motivated. “Whenever I talk for the people, they will try to suppress me. It’s a political vendetta. They misuse the power of the probing agencies. I do not have any fear, as I have nothing to hide,” he said outside the ED office earlier this week.
He added, “There is nothing in the case… I have been summoned 15 times and interrogated for more than 10 hours every time for the last 20 years. Organising 23,000 documents is not easy.”
On Tuesday, Congress supporters gathered outside the ED office raised slogans, alleging the government was misusing agencies to target opposition leaders. “Jab jab Modi darta hai, ED ko aage karta hai,” they chanted.
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