Robert Vadra, the husband of Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi, labelled the summons by the ED in connection with its money-laundering probe into the Shikhopur land deal a "witch hunt" and "political vendetta". Vadra marched to the ED office from his residence in Delhi after the agency summoned him on Tuesday for a second time for questioning.
"It is a political vendetta. Central agencies are being misused by the government," Vadra said.
Alleging that the federal agencies are being misused, Vadra, brother-in-law of Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi, told media, "They are trying to silence me. They stop Rahul in Parliament..."
"Whenever I speak up for people and make them heard, they will try to suppress me... I have always given all the answers and continue to do so," he added as he was heading to the ED office.
Vadra had skipped the first summons, which was issued on April 8. The central investigating agency is looking into the alleged financial irregularities concerning his firm, Skylight Hospitality.
As per the ED, Vadra's company had purchased a 3.5-acre plot in Gurgaon's Shikophur from Omkareshwar Properties for Rs 7.5 crore back in February 2008.
Vadra's company, subsequently, sold the parcel of land for Rs 58 crore to real estate giant DLF. Suspecting the proceeds to be part of a laundering scheme, the central agency is probing the money trail behind the windfall gains.
Once Vadra appears for questioning, his statement will be recorded under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).
