New Delhi: The Finance Ministry is reportedly looking into allegation that Robert Vadra, the son-in-law of Congress president Sonia Gandhi, may have been gifted a “benami” flat in London by an arms dealer in 2009.
According to NDTV, which has claimed to have access to reports prepared by the enforcement and tax officials, the government agencies have focused their probe on the email communication of Vadra and his aide Manoj Arora.
The enforcement agencies, which had raided several premises owned by Bhandari last month, reportedly stated that both Vadra and Arora had “sent several emails discussing payments and renovations” for a London home.
The home at 12 Ellerton House, Bryanston Square was bought for 19 crores in October 2009 and sold in June 2010, the NDTV reported.
It further said that two preliminary official reports point that Vadra's emails, as well as those of Arora's, were sent to Sumit Chadda, a relative of Bhandari's based in London.
"There was an email dated 4.04.2010 in which Sumit Chadda reported the progress of work of renovation and repair work to Robert Vadra and asked for reimbursement of expenses," the channel quoted one of the reports as saying.
The official report then reportedly quotes Vadra replying to Chadda, saying "He would look into the issue" and added that his "secretary" Manoj will be "in touch".
NDTV reported Bhandari is the the owner of Offset India Solutions (OIS), which was “red-flagged by the Intelligence Bureau soon after the Modi government took office and advised the Defence Ministry to keep it at a distance”.
"Sanjay Bhandari was specifically questioned whether Robert Vadra was the beneficiary of the sale of the Bryanston Square property in London. He did not deny the same but avoided a direct answer by stating that he would he able to confirm it by referring it to sale deed kept with his lawyer in London," NDTV quoted an official report as saying.
