The Rajasthan High Court asked Robert Vadra and his partners in Skylight Hospitality Private Limited, including his mother Maureen Vadra to appear before the Enforcement Directorate on February 12 to respond to allegations of money laundering by the firm.
Jodhpur bench of the high court gave the direction after vacating its earlier order that prevented the agency from taking any coercive action against Vadra and others.
A bench of Justice PS Bhati, while asking Robert Vadra and others to appear before the agency, however, refused to vacate the stay on their arrest and denied liberty to the ED to take them in custody. Justice Bhati clarified that if the need arises, the ED will have to move the court separately to seek permission for arresting them.
The matter
Appearing for the ED, Additional Solicitor General Rajdeep Rastogi told the bench that the agency has initiated an inquiry against the owners and partners of Skylight Hospitality Limited on a complaint of money laundering against the company.
The company moved the court against this inquiry and obtained an order that no coercive action would be taken against them during the investigation.
The ED then moved the court seeking vacation of this order on the ground that there was neither any FIR lodged in the matter nor there was any accused named.
Admitting the additional solicitor general’s arguments, the court removed the No Coercive Action clause from its earlier order.
The ED had earlier received a complaint alleging involvement of Vadra in the purchase of the 275 bighas of land in Bikaner’s Kolayat.
The complaint alleged that the land had been purchased in the name of the driver of the mediator Mahesh Nagre using a cheque given by Robert Vadra.
The primary evidence in the case prima facie indicated that the Skylight Hospitality Limited was involved in money laundering.
ED had subsequently issued summonses to Robert Vadra and firm’s partner Maureen third time in November last year but none of them appeared before the ED and instead moved the high court seeking No Coercive Action order and stay on the arrest.
