HC asks ED about action taken against Vasundhara Raje's son on money laundering allegations

The Delhi High Court has asked the Centre and the Enforcement Directorate as to what action they have taken pursuant to the probe into allegations of money laundering by Rajasthan's ex-chief minister Vasundhara Raje's son, son-in-law and daughter-in-law in the alleged conspiracy with a company owned by ex-IPL chief Lalit Modi.

A bench of Chief Justice Rajendra Menon and Justice V K Rao gave the government time till December 17 "to inform this court with regard to the action taken on the issue in question".

"Maninder Acharya, learned ASG, seeks and is allowed two week's time to inform this court with regard to the action taken on the issue in question," the bench had said in its order of December 4.

The direction came on a plea by a lawyer, Poonam Chand Bhandari, who sought to know what action ED has taken in the matter as it had on October 12 told the court that its investigation into the allegations was nearing completion.

ED on October 12 had told the court that its probe was nearing completion and once concluded it will decide the future course in the matter.

The submission had been made in response to the court's query about the status of ED's probe into the allegations which were made by Bhandari in 2013.

Taking note of the submission, the bench had said "no interference" by it was required and had disposed of the lawyer's plea.

Subsequently, she moved a fresh petition seeking to know what action has been taken by ED since then.

The agency had in 2015 told the court that it was investigating the allegations and subsequently, her plea was disposed of.

She again moved the high court this year claiming that ED has not done anything since 2015.

In her plea, she has alleged that huge amount of funds were diverted from Modi-owned Anand Heritage Hotels Pvt Ltd to Niyant Heritage Hotels Pvt ltd which is owned by Raje's son-in-law.