Robert Vadra withdraws plea in Delhi HC for direction to ED not to take coercive action against him

Businessman Robert Vadra Thursday withdrew his plea, filed in the Delhi High Court, for direction to the Enforcement Directorate not to take any coercive action against him in a money laundering case.

A bench of Justices Manmohan and Sangita Dhingra Sehgal dismissed the application as Vadra withdrew it saying he has already been granted anticipatory bail by a trial court.

The application was filed in a pending petition in which Vadra sought quashing of the case on the ground that multiple investigations were held in "abuse of statutory power of investigation and therefore second or successive FIRs filed in connection with the same or connected cognisable offence alleged to have been committed in the course of the same transaction pursuant to the first FIR is liable to be quashed".

The court was informed by the central government standing counsel Amit Mahajan, representing the ED, that they had filed their response on the issue of maintainability of Vadra's petition.

The court granted time to Vadra to file his rejoinder to ED's response and listed the matter for further hearing on August 21.

Besides Vadra, his close aide Manoj Arora has also sought quashing of the money laundering case.

Vadra is facing allegations of money laundering in the purchase of a London-based property at 12, Bryanston Square, worth 1.9 million pounds. The case is being probed under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act.