Sought 15 days, granted 1: Raj CM's son Vaibhav on ED questioning

New Delhi, Oct 30 (IANS) Vaibhav Gehlot, son of Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot, on Monday said that he had sought 15 days time from the Enforcement Directorate (ED) to appear before them but they only gave him a day.

He made the remarks after appearing before the financial probe agency on Monday.

After facing the questioning for over two hours and leaving for lunch break, speaking to the media he said, “I had asked for 15 days of time, but they only gave me a day.”

Vaibhav, who is also the President of Rajasthan Cricket Association, said that he felt that the ED should have given him some more time.

Vaibhav was summoned by the ED in connection with a Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA) case and was asked to appear before it on Friday. However, he skipped the ED summons asking for more time and also informed that he would be appearing before it on Monday.

The summons to Vaibhav were issued in connection with the agency’s action in August this year in connection with a FEMA case involving Triton Hotels and Resorts Pvt. Ltd., Vardha Enterprises Pvt. Ltd. and its Directors, Promoters Shiv Shankar Sharma, Rattan Kant Sharma and others.

The ED, in September this year, said that it had carried out searches from August 29 to 31 at various locations in Jaipur, Udaipur, Mumbai and Delhi in connection with the case.

It had also said that during the search operations, unaccounted cash of Rs 1.27 crore, various incriminating documents including digital evidences, hard disks, mobiles etc. were seized which reveal large scale transactions done by the group out of books of account. Unaccounted cash receipts have been invested in development of Hotels.

The ED had registered a case on the basis of credible information wherein Triton Hotels and Resorts Pvt. Ltd. received FDI from Mauritius-based Shivnar Holdings Ltd at a huge premium which was revised several times violating FEMA provisions.

It said that information further revealed that Triton Group has been involved in "Hawala transactions" having "cross border implications".

The sources said that Vaibhav question was necessitated after Rattan Kant Sharma's alleged links with him. Rattan Kant Sharma has been a business partner of Vaibhav in a car rental company in the past.

On Thursday, the Chief Minister had shared the copy of the summon issued to his son by the ED asking him to appear before it in FEMA case.

The Chief Minister has also slammed the BJP government questioning the timing of the ED searches in Rajasthan on Thursday including the premises of state unit chief Govind Singh Dotasara and summons to his son.

The polling for the 200 member assembly polls in Rajasthan is scheduled on November 25 and counting of votes will take place on December 3.