Searches in Delhi and Bengaluru in connection with defence deals, says agency.

The Enforcement Directorate on Friday said it conducted searches on the premises of three persons, including two employees of Robert Vadra, in connection with defence deals.

The move drew a sharp reaction from Mr. Vadra’s lawyer, who termed it “politics of revenge and malicious vendetta.” The Congress said an “unnerved” Modi government was unleashing “vendetta” against party chief Rahul Gandhi’s brother-in-law to divert the narrative.

Assets bought abroad

Not revealing any information on the case, an ED official said: “The searches were conducted in the Delhi-National Capital Region and Bengaluru. Two of the suspects happen to be employees of Mr. Vadra.”

According to the agency, the suspects had acquired assets abroad, allegedly using commissions from some defence deals. Two of them received funds from defence dealers, which were invested in the assets overseas. “All the three persons are being questioned,” said the official.

While the Enforcement Directorate said the searches were part of an ongoing investigation, the Congress charged the Centre with resorting to “vendetta politics after being unnerved” by the prospect of a defeat in the Assembly elections. “Politics of revenge and malicious vendetta has today reached its nadir. Modiji is acting like a Don lording over a criminal empire to persecute and hound everyone opposed to him,” party chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala said.

“In last 54 months, the Modi government has let loose a criminal conspiracy to vilify, denigrate and malign Robert Vadra to settle political scores,” he said.

“In a brazen affront to the rule of law and to Constitution, on the polling day, officers of Enforcement Directorate (ED) from Jaipur and Delhi raided the office of Mr. Vadra at Sukhdev Vihar (Delhi) as also the residences of his associate, his sister and her in-laws at Noida without any FIR or search warrant,” Mr. Surjewala said.

Mr. Vadra’s lawyer said the government had unleashed all its agencies to victimise Mr. Vadra. Mr. Vadra had adhered to notices and summonses by every agency for several years and supplied every document asked for and co-operated fully, said the lawyer, raising suspicion that the officials were going to plant false material at Mr. Vadra’s office.