This article is written by Ayushi Mahajan, from Centre For Legal Studies, Gitarattan International Business School (Guru Gobind Singh Indraprastha University). This article talks about the Gandhi family’s son in law Robert Vadra and controversies upon him.
Table of Contents
Introduction
Robert Vadra is an entrepreneur and an Indian businessman. He is the son-in-law of the Gandhi family, and husband of Priyanka Gandhi Vadra.
He was born to Maureen Vadra and Rajendra Vadra in a Khatri Punjabi family on 18 April 1969. His father hails from Moradabad, Uttar Pradesh while his mother was Scottish. His father had been a resident of Civil Lines in Moradabad and used to run a wood and brass business of handicrafts.
The family is originally hailed from Pakistan. His father came to India at the time of partition. His brother Richard committed suicide and sister Michelle died in a car accident in 2001.
As per the Wall Street Journal, Robert Vadra is only high school educated. Robert Vadra has been in the news usually for many wrong reasons. Regardless of all the allegations which are true or just politically motivated, as his family says, his life has been mired in many controversies and cases over the years. Despite being in news for many wrong reasons, he has managed to remain on the correct side of the law, though his image has been low down among many people and he is often seen as the dark spot on the shining coveted Gandhi family.
Risen from a very decent background, Vadra has properties worth crores under the protection or support of any particular real estate businesses. Many of his business deals have dragged him into many of the controversies and border onto the ‘grey’ if not black. Whatever the controversy is, Vadra is the one who has not shied away from them rather he uses it to explain his each and every controversy, and very often, he has used social media to prove himself.
Vadra and politics
Vadra issued into a newspaper that he is distancing himself from his brother and father because they want him to use Nehru Gandhi name for their jobs and other kinds of favours. Then only, the congress party president Sonia Gandhi issued a notice to remain at a pace from Robert Vadra to all the chief ministers and members of parliament of all states. Until 2012, when vadra was only seen in the background, he became the target for many opposition parties and after 2012 India anti-corruption bureau made allegations against him. These allegations got further politicized after when several instances of Congress party spokespersons started defending him by saying that he is a soft target.
While he is not active in politics, he can be seen actively campaigning for his brother-in-law Rahul Gandhi and her mother-in-law Sonia Gandhi. He also campaigned for many other Congress leaders too. When he was asked about his intent to join politics, on his 50th birthday, he said that it would happen 2 or 3 years later.
Cases and controversies
The Enforcement Directorate (ED), in a two-day interrogation of Robert Vadra, focused mainly on his wealth abroad, a can of worms has been opened exclusively to Congress President Rahul Gandhi’s brother-in-law in London and the UAE.
The ED grilled Vadra for eight hours on Thursday at the “ultimate beneficiary” of the London residences and six flats allegedly bought by one of his associates through a web of companies, some of which allegedly absconded arms dealers Sanjay Bhandari and UAE. -Businessman CC Thampi.
The complaining companies include Bhante-owned Bhanwar, and Sky Light, a Sharjah-based company controlled by Bhampi. Another company called “Syntac” is also under ED’s radar as Bhandari bought the London mansion from the company for £ 1.9 million. Another company registered in Park View is also under ED’s scanner as the company was involved in a property deal for Vadra in London.
Money laundering
ED has filed the money laundering cases against Robert Vadra for the purchase of the property at Bryanston Square worth 1.9 million pounds. Apart from this, there were two other properties estimated around 4 million pounds and 5 million pounds respectively and some other flats. It is said that all of these properties were bought between 2005 to 2010. ED had put alleged allegations that Vadra and his associates received kickbacks in the petroleum deal which was linked in 2009 during the UPA regime. The proceeds from this deal were allegedly used by the Vadra to buy these properties in London.
Haryana land deal case
In September 2010 an FIR was filed against Vadra and Haryana’s chief minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda for the Prevention of Corruption Act and many sections of The Indian Penal Code,1860 were highlighted under the case. Skylight Hospitality which was owned by Vadra allegedly bought the land in various places in Gurgaon and sold them at much higher rates than the prevailing market rates.
Money laundering case of Bikaner
ED in 2015 had registered one of a money laundering case against the Skylight hospitality which was owned by Vadra. The company had bought land in Kolayat which is situated in Bikaner at a very cheap price and sold it allegedly to the Allegenery Finlease for Rs.5.15 Crore. The land was meant for rehabilitation of poor villages but it was bought by Vadra through illegal transactions. ED has also claimed that Allegenery Finlease was a fictitious company and was having no real business.
Fraud cases
Central Bureau of Investigation had registered 18 cases in 2017 of fraud against Robert Vadra against the companies including an entity which was owned by Vadra on the recommendations of then Rajasthan Government. Out of these 18 cases, the four cases were registered against his company.
Vadra family seeking favours using Nehru-Gandhi family name
In the months prior to January 2002, allegations were made that the Vadra family, primarily Robert Vadra’s father and brother, were using their ties with the Nehru-Gandhi family to gain some favours inside and outside the Congress Party. Congress President Sonia Gandhi was asked about the favours by Robert Vadra’s father Rajinder and brother Richard, the then CM Vilasrao Deshmukh of Maharashtra, CM Digvijay Singh of Madhya Pradesh and CM SM of Karnataka. UPCC President Salman Khurshid reportedly requested Richard for a party ticket for his friend. When the report made headlines, Priyanka Gandhi’s husband published a public notice on 3 January 2002 in a prominent national daily, prepared by Arun Bhardwaj, son of former law minister Hansraj Bhardwaj.
Allegations by India Against Corruption (IAC)
In 2012, at the height of the anti-corruption movement by the then activist Arvind Kejriwal, his organization bombarded the allegations against the son-in-law of the Gandhi family. The charges include “illegal” deals between real estate giants DLF and Vadra. Kejriwal accused DLF of giving interest-free loans to Vadra as well as discounted apartments of Rs. 65 Crores in some of the company’s hardcore housing projects in Gurgaon. He alleged that the company was given undue favour by the then Congress-led Haryana government.
Vadra DLF land deal
Following allegations against Kejriwal and his IAC against the Vadra-DLF land deal in 2012, opposition parties, mainly the BJP, created a ruckus on the issue several times. For the Haryana assembly elections in 2014, this was one of the major issues raised by the BJP against the Congress. After coming to power, CM Manohar Lal Khattar ordered an inquiry into allegations of wrongdoing. During the debate over land deals, Robert Vadra defended himself, stating that the transaction between his company and DLF was a legitimate business deal. Vadra wrote on his Facebook that after the report, the Haryana government was in the final stages of setting up an inquiry panel to investigate land deals,
“An inquiry has been ordered by the Haryana government. We should wait for the result. All laws have complied within a completely transparent manner. I sincerely hope that the investigation will not be used for political retaliation. “
Row over VVIP no frisking list
Robert Vadra is no stranger to VVIP treatment. But often, they are targeted for the treatment they have received because of their marriage in the first family of Congress. Due to her marriage to SPG-security Priyanka Gandhi, she was granted VVIP status at domestic airports and did not have to undergo a security check that we are under ‘common people’.
He was frequently attacked by the opposition when the Congress was in power and in the last year was also completely engulfed in controversies. Vadra was removed from the list last year. Robert Vadra demanded that he be removed from the elite “no frisking” list at airports.
“Plan to visit every terminal of airports in India and add a white tape to my name and my signature at the top in the VVIP list !!” So watch out, ”Robert Vadra wrote on his Facebook wall.
Finally, citing his demands by the government, Vadra wrote on his Facebook, “I appreciate that my name will no longer appear in the VVIP list.” I hope this is a dead issue now and will not be used against me. My best wishes. “
Connections with controversial arms dealer Sanjay Bhandari
The latest controversy in Vadra’s life is a report from a private TV channel citing an investigation into the relationship between the controversial arms dealer Sanjay Bhandari and the Income Tax Department and the Enforcement Directorate. Following an income tax raid on 18 premises owned by Bhandari, emails were allegedly sent by Robert Vadra and his executive assistant, Manoj Arora, to a relative of London-based Sumit Chaddha, Bhandari.
The channel reported that Robert Vadra and his executive assistant sent emails “discussing the payment and renovation for the London home (12 Allerton House, Bryanston Square), purchased in October 2009 for 1.9 million GBP (Rs 19 crore) and in June 2010 sold”.
Although Vadra has not responded to the allegations, his lawyers have given a written reply to the news channel. The TV channel quoted her reaction as saying that Vadra “does not directly or indirectly own, no house you mentioned 12, Allerton House, Bryanston Square, London” and any in the name of Vadra and Arora The transaction has not entered. Financial nature with Mr Sanjay Bhandari and it is also not known that Mr Sanjay Bhandari is involved in any defence transaction ”.
Conclusion
There are many cases and ongoing controversies against Mr. Robert Vadra and due to all of them, he is surrounded by the media most of the time. He is not quite active in politics but he is intended to become a new face of the Congress Party in recent times.
References
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