New Delhi: On Tuesday, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) recorded the testimony of Robert Vadra, a businessman and brother-in-law of Rahul Gandhi, the Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, concerning a money laundering case linked to a land transaction in Haryana from 2008, according to official sources.

Vadra has labeled the ED's decision to summon him as a form of "political vendetta," asserting that he has previously spent extensive hours with the agency during interrogations related to other money laundering cases, providing thousands of documents, yet the agency continues to pursue cases against him.

The 56-year-old made his way from his residence in Sujan Singh Park to the ED headquarters, a distance of two kilometers, arriving at 11 am accompanied by his lawyer while his security personnel remained outside.

As he walked to the ED office, he expressed to reporters, "This is nothing but a political vendetta. Whenever I advocate for minorities, they attempt to silence us... they also tried to suppress Rahul (Gandhi) in Parliament. This is an abuse of power and a political vendetta."

"I will cooperate with them as I have in the past," he added.

Sources indicate that the ED took his statement under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) for approximately two hours, with the session expected to extend throughout the day.

After stepping out for lunch around 1:30 pm, Vadra reiterated his willingness to assist with the investigation but emphasized the need for closure, questioning, "How can you discuss events from 2007?"

Initially summoned on April 8, Vadra had requested a new date to appear, sources revealed.

The investigation into Vadra, whose spouse Priyanka Gandhi Vadra serves as a Congress MP from Wayanad in Kerala, pertains to a land deal in Gurugram's Manesar-Shikohpur area (now sector 83).

In February 2008, a company named Skylight Hospitality Pvt Ltd, where Vadra was previously a director, acquired 3.5 acres of land in Shikohpur from Onkareshwar Properties for Rs 7.5 crore. At that time, the Congress government, led by Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda, was in power.

Four years later, in September 2012, the company sold the same land to DLF for Rs 58 crore.

The deal became controversial in October 2012 when IAS officer Ashok Khemka, then the director general of Land Consolidation and Land Records in Haryana, annulled the transaction, deeming it a violation of the State Consolidation Act and related procedures.

The Haryana BJP opposition labeled this case as an example of "corruption" in land transactions and "nepotism," alluding to Vadra's connection to the Congress party's first family.

In 2018, the Haryana Police filed an FIR to investigate this deal.

Vadra has faced multiple interrogations by the federal agency regarding two separate money laundering cases.

In December 2023, the ED submitted a chargesheet against UAE-based businessman C C Thampi, allegedly linked to Vadra, and Sumit Chadha, a relative of UK arms consultant Sanjay Bhandari, stating that it was probing the acquisition of three plots of land in Haryana during 2005-06 by Vadra from a real estate agent, alongside a land deal involving his wife Priyanka Gandhi Vadra.

Neither Vadra nor Priyanka Gandhi Vadra were named as accused in the chargesheet.

According to the ED, Thampi acquired approximately 486 acres of land in Amirpur village, Faridabad, between 2005 and 2008 through H L Pahwa, a real estate agent based in Delhi-NCR.

"It is crucial to note that Robert Vadra also purchased three parcels of land totaling 334 kanals (40.08 acres) in Amirpur from H L Pahwa between 2005 and 2006 and subsequently sold the same land back to H L Pahwa in December 2010," the chargesheet stated.

"Additionally, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, Robert Vadra's wife, purchased 40 kanal (5 acres) of agricultural land in Amirpur, Faridabad, from H L Pahwa in April 2006 and sold it back to him in February 2010," the ED reported.

The agency noted that "Pahwa was receiving cash off the books for the purpose of land acquisition."

"It was also observed that Robert Vadra did not pay the full amount to Pahwa. The investigation into this matter is still ongoing," the ED concluded.