Robert Vadra down with 'food poisoning', unable to attend ED questioning

New Delhi, Feb 19: Congress president Rahul Gandhi's brother-in-law Robert Vadra, who was supposed to appear before the Enforcement Directorate today for questioning, is down with food poisoning and will not be able to appear the agency for probe on Tuesday, his lawyer KTS Tulsi said.

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) summoned Robert Vadra to appear before it today in connection with the probe over properties in London which the Congress president Rahul Gandhi's brother-in-law allegedly owns. The ED had reportedly summed him yesterday.

"Robert Vadra is not able to attend the hearing today for which he had been summoned by ED because he suffered about a food poisoning last night as a result of which he is having acute diarrhoea and nausea," KTS Tulsi told news agency ANI.

The ED case against Vadra relates to allegations of money laundering in the purchase of a London-based property located at 12, Bryanston Square worth 1.9 million GBP (British pounds), which is allegedly owned by him.

The agency had told a Delhi court that it has received information about various new properties in London which belong to Vadra. These include two houses, one worth 5 million GBP and the other valued at 4 million GBP, six other flats and more properties, said a PTI report.

Vadra is on interim bail till March 2 after a Delhi court extended the protection from arrest on Saturday. Vadra gave the assurance after the ED told the court that he was not cooperating in the probe and was required for questioning for at least four to five more days.

Robert Vadra was also questioned by the ED for three consecutive days last week in connection with a probe into allegations of money laundering to purchase assets abroad. Last week, the agency had also grilled Vadra in Jaipur twice in a separate case related to land allotments. His mother Maureen was also asked to depose but was allowed to go after completion of brief legal procedures.

Vadra has denied allegations of possessing illegal foreign assets and termed them a political witch hunt against him. Vadra has alleged he was being "hounded and harassed" to subserve political ends.