Setback for Robert Vadra: Rajasthan HC dismisses petition, stays arrest for two weeks

Jaipur: The Rajasthan High Court on Thursday rejected the plea by Robert Vadra which sought to quash an alleged money laundering case against him. The court, however, stayed his arrest for two weeks.

A single bench of Justice Dr. Pushpendra Singh Bhati court delivered its verdict in the alleged money laundering case related to buying of land in Bikaner involving Robert Vadra and his mother Maureen Vadra.

The petition had been filed by Skylight Hospitality Company, run with partnership between Robert and his mother. Skylight Hospitality and Mahesh Nagar also challenged the ED investigation.

The court has also stayed the arrest of both of Robert Vadra and his mother for two weeks.

The whole matter is related to the sale and purchase of the company’s land in Kolayat, Bikaner.

Earlier on Wednesday, the hearing was completed.

Actually, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) is investigating to collect evidence against the partners of Skylight Hospitality LLP company regarding the purchase and sale of land in Kolayat, Bikaner. Apart from Skylight Hospitality, another partner of Skylight Mahesh Nagar had challenged the ED’s investigation in the single bench. However, the main questions raised by the defence side in their petition were answered by the Union of India, the other side in case.

After this decision, the earlier interim order will continue for two weeks. During this time, the complainant will be able to appeal and till then there will be no arrest.

On Wednesday, senior advocate K.T.S. Tulsi, appearing for the defence side, argued for Vadra. Additional Solicitor General Rajdeepak Rastogi and his colleague Bhanuprakash Bohra presented the side on behalf of the Union of India.

Rastogi said that the matter pertains to 2018 when the Bikaner police had registered an FIR in Kolayat in connection with the fraudulent purchase of government land. After the case was registered, the case was taken over by the CBI, which is under investigation.

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) had also registered an ECIR (Enforcement Case Information Report) in the Bikaner land scam. The investigation pertains to the purchase of 275 bighas of land by the company in Kolayat area of the border district of Bikaner. The central probe agency had registered a money laundering case in 2016 on the basis of an FIR lodged by the police following a complaint by a local tehsildar.

During that time, Robert Vadra, Liability Partner of Skylight Hospitality Pvt Ltd, his mother Maureen Vadra and partner Mahesh Nagar reached the Rajasthan High Court. The court had issued a third party interim order granting them relief from arrest.

Due to this, the interim stay on the arrest of Robert Vadra, his mother Maureen Vadra and Mahesh Nagar continues. The ED had earlier presented an application before the court to lift the interim stay on his arrest.

IANS