New Delhi: On the day exit poll results of five states were scheduled, the Enforcement Directorate decided to raid offices of close associates of Robert Vadra in Delhi and Bengaluru.
Vadra is the son-in-law of former Congress president Sonia Gandhi.
The move comes after Vadra was issued a third summons on Thursday by the ED asking him to appear before the investigating officer in the Bikaner land deal money laundering case for questioning.
Vadra whose Sky Light Hospitality Pvt Ltd is being investigated for "fraudulently" acquiring land in Bikaner meant for rehabilitation of poor villagers, has failed to respond to previous two summonses.
Vadra's lawyer alleged that the ED team have raided three companies closely associated with his client and locked them up arbitrarily.
Khaitan also claimed that the ED officials did not have the mandatory search warrant, essentially making the exercise "illegal".
"They have not found any evidence in the last four-and-a-half years. So they wanted to come, lock the door and plant evidence today. They are going to lose the elections, and to divert attention, they will claim that they found the evidence, which is actually manufactured and planted," he told reporters.
He added: "They have locked our people of Skylight hospitality inside, they are not allowing anyone to go inside. Is this Nazism? Is this a jail?"
Slamming the raids, the Congress said an "unnerved" Modi government was unleashing "vendetta" against party chief Rahul Gandhi's brother-in-law to divert the narrative.
The searches at the premises of the three people were related to alleged commissions received by some suspects in defence deals, an ED official claimed.
"Sure shot defeat in 5 States unnerves Modi Govt to again use the old tools - unleash revenge & vendetta against Mr. Robert Vadra to divert the narrative," Congress chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala said on Twitter.
"Such cowardice & intimidation will not subjugate either the Congresa Party or the will of people," he said.
Vadra had called the repeated summonses "political witch-hunt" and accused the agencies of having an "agenda" to tarnish his reputation.
Rajasthan police had filed cases against Sky Light Hospitality and others in August 2014 after the NDA government came to power at the the Centre. In September 2015, the ED registered a case against the company and others under PMLA based on the FIRs and 20 chargesheets of Rajasthan police.
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