ED arrests Robert Vadra’s close aide and NRI businessman CC Thampi
20 Jan 2020
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) today arrested UAE-based NRI businessman CC Thampi, who is a close aide of Robert Vadra, husband of Priyanka Gandhi and son-in-law of Congress chief Sonia Gandhi. Thampi and his three companies, Holiday City Centre, Holiday Properties and Holiday Bekal Resorts were under ED scanner for possible violation of Foreign Exchange Management Act,1999 involving a total of Rs288 crore.
Thampi's name had also cropped up in a case related to London-based property of Robert Vadra and he was interrogated by ED in this case too. His arrest is part of an ongoing investigation involving Vadra in a money laundering case involving assets in the UK.
The ED is investigating some alleged undisclosed transactions detected in the purchase of properties in the UK by people linked to Vadra. After detailed probe, the ED found that Thampi was the person who was involved in routing the kickbacks allegedly to Vadra.
It may be noted that the ED had questioned Thampi in April 2019, too, and it was the discrepancies in statements of Vadra and Thampi that led to the arrest of the latter. Sources said that during his questioning on 6 February 2019, Vadra had informed the ED that he met Thampi on board an Emirates flight.
Thampi, who owns several illegal properties in India and the UAE, is also accused of being involved in several defence deals.