Robert Vadra questioned for 9 hours, wife Priyanka Gandhi picks him up from ED office

New Delhi, Feb 7: Robert Vadra was picked up by wife Priyanka Gandhi Vadra from the Enforcement Directorate office after nine hours of questioning on Thursday, the second consecutive day of his deposition in connection with a probe into allegations he laundered money to purchase illegal foreign assets.

His wife and Congress party leader Priyanka Gandhi came to the ED office in Jamnagar House in central Delhi to pick him in her SUV. Vadra is expected to be questioned again on Saturday.

On Wednesday (February 6), Vadra was grilled for over six hours during which investigators, reportedly, recorded his statement. Yesterday (Feb 6) was the first time Vadra appeared before any central probe agency in connection with allegations of dubious financial dealings.

Robert Vadra had sought protection from the arrest from the court on which the court granted him interim bail till February 16. Vadra has maintained that chgarges against him were politically motivated.

During Wednesday's questioning, Vadra denied owning any property in the UK or knowing the people, including arms dealer Sanjay Bhandari, whom the agency is investigating. The Enforcement Directorate had alleged that Vadra is the controlling beneficiary of a property in London located at 12, Bryanston Square, said reports.

BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra had earlier alleged at a briefing that Vadra bought 8 to 9 properties in London from the money he got as kickbacks from a petroleum and a defence deal which took place in 2008-09 when the UPA was in power.

Some of the allegations against Robert Vadra:

• In September 2015, the ED registered a money laundering case alleging that Robert Vadra-owned Sky Light Hospitality had acquired land in Kolayat, Bikaner, which was meant for rehabilitation of poor villagers.

• The Enforcement Directorate claims Mr Vadra and his associates received 'Kickbacks' in the petroleum deal signed in 2009 during the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) regime.

• A case was filed against Mr Vadra and former Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda in September last year for alleged irregularities in land deals in Gurugram.

• He has faced allegations that his company Skylight Hospitality sold 3.5 acres of land in 2008 in Shikohpur village to DLF at a rate much higher than the prevailing rate.