Robert Vadra withdraws plea before Delhi High Court against summons in Shikohpur land deal case

Businessman and Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi's husband, Robert Vadra, on Monday withdrew his petition before Delhi High Court challenging the cognisance order passed by the trial court and issuance of summons in relation to Enforcement Directorate’s (ED) money laundering case over Shikohpur land deal..Justice Manoj Jain allowed Vadra to withdraw the petition."The petitioners are not interested in pursuing the present petition and therefore, they seek to withdraw unconditionally. They however, submit that they would reserve all their rights and contentions and would make appropriate submissions before the trial court at the appropriate stage. The petition stands disposed of," the Court said..On May 13, special judge Sushant Changotra seated at Rouse Avenue district court, had taken cognisance of the ED's case against Vadra.He then sought to challenge the same before the High Court.When the matter was heard on May 14, advocate Zoheb Hossain appeared for the ED and challenged Vadra's argument that the offences of which he has been accused in the predicate offence were added to the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) schedule after the commission of the alleged offence between 2008 and 2012."This [Vadra's plea] needs to go with costs. I have done an exercise of pulling out all the bare acts. Complete false submissions. Section 467 IPC was there in its original inception in the PMLA schedule. Ex facie, false and incorrect statements are made. Completely false statements," Hossain submitted on May 14.The Court then gave Vadra's counsel, Senior Advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi, to "come prepared" on this aspect. When the plea against summons came up before the High Court today, Vadra sought permission to withdraw the same.ED counsel Hossain then reiterated that Vadra had made false argument in his petition."I have a specific objection on a false submission made on oath. It has to be unconditionally withdrawn," he said.The Court then permitted Vadra to withdraw the plea unconditionally..Meanwhile, on May 16, Vadra appeared before the trial court and Judge Changotra granted him bail in the case upon payment of ₹50,000 as surety..The case stemmed from a 2008 land transaction in Gurugram, where a company linked to Vadra allegedly acquired 3.5 acres of land for ₹7.5 crores through a fraudulent sale deed without making the declared payment at the time of registration.It is alleged that the land was given as a bribe so that Vadra could get a housing license in the same village using his influence over the then Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda.Four years later, after the license was issued, the land was sold to DLF for ₹58 crores. Around 350 acres of land in Wazirabad, Gurugram, was also allegedly wrongly allotted to DLF, due to which it earned a profit of around ₹5,000 crores..Advocate Prateek Chaddha appeared for Vadra.Special Standing Counsel Zoheb Hossain appeared for ED. .Note: An earlier version of the story incorrectly said that the withdrawal of the petition was due to the bail secured by Vadra. The error is regretted..[Read live coverage]