Money laundering case: Court grants anticipatory bail plea to Robert Vadra

New Delhi, Apr 01: A Special CBI Court on Monday granted anticipatory bail plea to Robert Vadra in money laundering case. The Court also allowed anticipatory bail to his close aide Manoj Arora. Robert Vadra and Manoj Arora both were on interim bail currently.

Robert Vadra and Manoj Arora will also have to furnish a personal bail bond of Rs. 5 lakhs.

Earlier, the court had reserved order on Vadra's bail plea for April 1 and extended his interim protection from arrest till the same in the two money laundering cases, one in a petro deal and the other in a defence deal.

Vadra is facing money laundering allegations for the purchase of a London based property worth 1.9 million pounds. The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has described the case as a classic example of money laundering where several shell companies were used to hide bribes that were used to buy expansive real estates abroad.

The petro deal involves a complex which ONGC decided to build as under special economic zone in 2008. ONGC gave the contract to build a part of the complex to Samsung which hired a Dubai-based company called Santech International FZC, owned by one Sanjay Bhandari.

The contract was awarded to Samsung in December 2008 and the company paid Santech US $ 49,90,000 in June 2009.

The Santech then purchased a property in London at 12 Bryanston Square. However, the property was registered under another company named Vortex Private Limited. Santech transferred 1.9 million pound sterling in Vortex account.

This Vortez Pvt. was bought by Sky Lite Investments FZE Dubai which is controlled by C Thampi, reportedly a close aide of Robert Vadra.

(with PTI inputs)