India News

Cash paid for tickets, difficult to prove Bhandari-Vadra link: I-T sleuths

Published

9 years ago

October 18, 2017

Cash paid for tickets, difficult to prove Bhandari-Vadra link: I-T sleuths

Income tax officials say Paharganj-based travel agency which booked Vadra’s business class air tickets for Zurich had received cash payments

While the Congress and BJP trade charges against each other over a Times Now report which claimed that absconding arms dealer Sanjay Bhandari had, in August 2012, booked business class air tickets for Robert Vadra’s travel to Zurich, tax officials claim that the said air fare was paid for in cash and no trail of where the money came from could be proved during a probe.

The claims by I-T officials who spoke anonymously to The Indian Express appear to take the steam out of the political attacks made by the BJP against the Congress party’s first family at a time when the saffron party too finds itself in a spot over allegations that Jay Shah, son of BJP national president Amit Shah, saw a 16000-times hike in his company’s turnover in the years that followed Narendra Modi’s stunning rise as the country’s Prime Minister in May 2014.

The Times Now ‘expose’ against Vadra, the controversial husband of Congress president Sonia Gandhi’s daughter Priyanka Gandhi, had come days after online portal The Wire published the report about Jay Shah’s meteoric rise in wealth. The Congress has questioned the timing of the report over Vadra, claiming that it was deliberately being circulated by the BJP to deflect media and public attention from the allegations against Jay Shah.

However, while the conjectures arising out of the article on Jay Shah are largely based on tax returns and official filings made by the company of the BJP national president’s son, the allegations being made against Robert Vadra over his alleged links with Sanjay Bhandari are reportedly based on an email trail exchanged between the two, with little evidence to actually prove the money trail.

On Wednesday, The Indian Express said that income tax officials believe that the probe into the alleged payment by Sanjay Bhandari of air tickets for Vadra’s travel to Zurich had “virtually reached a dead end”. The newspaper claimed that: “when tax sleuths approached the Paharganj-based travel agency (International Travel Home) through which the air passage had been booked, they were informed that the payments were received in cash and they had no recollection whether the money was handed over to them by someone from either Sanjay Bhandari’s side or Robert Vadra’s side.”

The Indian Express report also anonymously quoted a senior I-T official as saying: “If the payments for the flights had been made by cheque, we could have traced the person who made the payments. But since the payments were made in cash there is nothing to dig deeper. And an amount of between Rs 8 lakh-Rs 10 lakh is too small an amount for us to call Robert Vadra over for questioning.”

The report added that the mail trail of ticket bookings for Zurich were located by them shortly after searches were conducted along with other mails connected to the renovation of a property in London ostensibly being done by Sanjay Bhandari for Robert Vadra.

Vadra and his lawyers have reportedly claimed that they had no communication with Sanjay Bhandari during the period for which the arms dealer is facing multiple probes by Indian agencies like the Enforcement Directorate and the I-T department.

The Times Now ‘expose’ however claims that: “According to the email trail, Bhandari bought tickets for the tainted businessman (Vadra) at a time when the arms dealer was being investigated for his role in swinging a jet trainer deal for Swiss company Pilatus. The fact that one of the tickets booked for Vadra was to Zurich, the financial capital of Switzerland, hints at his involvement in the Pilatus deal. However, there is no clarity on the issue as of now, and Times Now is awaiting a reply from his side.”

The BJP has latched on to the Times Now expose in an attempt to directly attack Congress president Sonia Gandhi and her son, party vice president Rahul Gandhi over the Bhandari-Vadra links. On Tuesday, the BJP had fielded Union defence minister Nirmala Sitharaman to lead the party’s broadside against the Congress on the issue.

Sitharaman had said that the “studied silence” of Sonia and Rahul on the charges being leveled against Vadra will be construed as their acceptance of the allegations being true. Citing the Times Now report, Sitharaman had alleged that a London house linked to Vadra had been refurbished by Bhandari and that 7.5 lakh Swiss francs were deposited in a bank account of the arms dealer- possibly as payment for the renovation of Vadra’s London home.

“Why is the Congress vice-president, who has been emulating the Prime Minister in his tweets, maintaining a silence on this,” the defence minister had asked.

The Congress party had hit back at the BJP with its chief spokesperson, Randeep Singh Surjewala claiming that the allegations against Vadra were being raked up by the saffron party to “distract people from the accusations hurled against Jay Shah”.

“An unnerved and running scared BJP is on a ‘save Shah-Zada’ (a reference to Jay Shah) mission. Instead of ordering an inquiry into the business dealing of company owned by Amit Shah’s wife, daughter-in-law and son, which is being demanded by people in Opposition and even RSS, Nirmala Sitharaman is on an agenda of diversionary tactics but they will never succeed (sic),” Surjewala had said.

The Congress spokesperson had added that “the vicious witch-hunt and vendetta against Robert Vadra has continued for 41 months by Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government and yet not a single wrongdoing, violation of any law or a criminal misconduct has been established (against Vadra).”

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IPS Officer Nupur Prasad gets Medal for Meritorious Service after Sushant Singh Rajput probe

IPS officer Nupur Prasad, who led the CBI investigation into Sushant Singh Rajput’s death, has been selected for the Medal for Meritorious Service this year.

Published

17 hours ago

August 15, 2026

APNLive Desk

IPS officer Nupur Prasad, who led the CBI investigation into actor Sushant Singh Rajput’s death, has been recognised with the Medal for Meritorious Service (MSM) this year.

A 2007-batch AGMUT cadre officer, Ms Prasad recently returned to the Delhi Police after completing her tenure with the CBI. She is currently serving as Joint Commissioner of Police in the Economic Offences Wing (EOW), where she oversees investigations involving financial and economic crimes.

The award is part of this year’s recognition for police personnel for distinguished and meritorious service. Such honours recognise contributions in areas including investigation, crime prevention, public service, law and order and administration.

Nupur Prasad’s role in Sushant Singh Rajput case

Ms Prasad came into national focus during the CBI investigation into the death of Sushant Singh Rajput, who was found dead at his Mumbai residence on June 14, 2020.

The case was transferred to the CBI in August 2020 following a complaint by the actor’s family and a legal dispute over jurisdiction.

During her tenure with the agency, Ms Prasad supervised key aspects of the investigation, including the examination of witness statements, forensic evidence and medical records.

In 2025, the CBI filed closure reports, saying its investigation found no evidence of foul play, abetment to suicide or criminal conspiracy in the actor’s death.

Career across Delhi Police, CBI

Ms Prasad has served in several positions during her career, including assignments in the Delhi Police, CBI, Arunachal Pradesh and West Bengal.

Before joining the CBI, she held senior positions in the Delhi Police and became the first Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) of Shahdara. During her tenure, she worked on establishing the district’s policing framework following its creation.

She also led operations targeting drug networks and illegal gambling activities while focusing on crime-prevention measures.

Later, as DCP of North Delhi, she oversaw security arrangements for major events, including Independence Day celebrations at the Red Fort and Delhi University elections.

Community-focused policing initiatives

Beyond investigations, Ms Prasad has been associated with community-focused programmes involving women’s self-defence, youth development, cyber safety and drug de-addiction.

During her CBI tenure, she was also associated with several prominent investigations. Media reports have linked her to cases concerning businessman Vijay Mallya and the AgustaWestland helicopter deal.

Current role in Delhi Police

After completing her assignment with the CBI, Ms Prasad returned to the Delhi Police and took charge as Joint Commissioner of Police in the Economic Offences Wing.

The latest recognition adds to her career spanning investigations, policing and public service across several challenging assignments.

India News

Kharge, Rahul Gandhi skip Independence Day event for 2nd straight year

Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge and Rahul Gandhi skipped the 80th Independence Day celebrations at the Red Fort for the second consecutive year.

Published

17 hours ago

August 15, 2026

APNLive Desk

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi skipped the 80th Independence Day celebrations at Delhi’s Red Fort for the second consecutive year.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi led the Independence Day celebrations at the historic venue on Saturday.

The absence of the two senior Congress leaders comes amid strained relations between the ruling party and the Opposition, which further deteriorated during the Monsoon Session of Parliament that concluded on Thursday.

2024 seating controversy

Rahul Gandhi had attended the Independence Day celebrations in 2024 but his seating arrangement triggered a controversy. The Congress leader, who holds the status of a Cabinet minister as Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, was seated in the second-last row during the ceremony at the Red Fort.

The Opposition had criticised the seating arrangement, calling it an insult to the people. The Defence Ministry, which organised the event, said the arrangement had been modified to accommodate Olympians at the venue.

According to protocol, the Leader of the Opposition is seated in the front row during ceremonial events.

Opposition-ruling party tensions

Relations between the government and the Opposition remained tense during the Monsoon Session, which ended on Thursday.

The session saw repeated clashes between the two sides, with both the Opposition and the ruling party blaming each other for the low productivity of Parliament.

The session began on July 20, with students marching towards Parliament on the first day. Twelve bills were passed during the session, while detailed discussion took place on only one legislation, concerning paper leaks.

The Congress, along with the Trinamool Congress and Samajwadi Party, also boycotted the customary tea party hosted by Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla after the House was adjourned sine die.

India News

PM Modi’s Saptadhara Vision: 7 streams driving India’s next growth phase

PM Modi outlined “Shakti Ki Saptadhara”, identifying seven streams including manufacturing, farming, technology, defence, green energy and soft power.

Published

17 hours ago

August 15, 2026

APNLive Desk

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in his Independence Day address from the Red Fort on Saturday, outlined “Shakti Ki Saptadhara”, describing seven key streams that he said can drive India’s next phase of growth and strengthen its journey towards self-reliance and development.

The seven streams identified by the Prime Minister are manufacturing, farming, technology, Gatishakti, Raksha Shakti, green and blue economy, and soft power.

Calling on the country to focus on these areas, PM Modi said the seven streams represent India’s strength and can help the country become more self-reliant.

Manufacturing as the engine of growth

PM Modi called manufacturing the first stream of Saptadhara and stressed the need to significantly strengthen the sector.

He said India needs to produce both components and complete products and should emerge as a key destination in global supply chains.

The Prime Minister highlighted cost, quality and scale as important factors for Indian manufacturers to compete globally. He also stressed the importance of attractive packaging and precision in manufacturing.

Farming and food processing

Agriculture and food processing were identified as the second stream.

PM Modi said global markets are increasingly accessible to Indian farmers and called for greater efforts to take agricultural products from farms to international markets.

He highlighted traditional foods, millets, spices, fruits and vegetables, saying these products should be developed into global brands.

Technology and innovation

Technology and innovation form the third stream of Saptadhara, according to PM Modi.

He highlighted areas such as data centres, robotics and emerging technologies, saying India should aim to become a hub for these sectors.

Referring to the country’s experience with UPI and Digital Public Infrastructure, PM Modi said India has already demonstrated its technological capabilities and must now take the next leap in next-generation communication technology.

He also spoke about the goal of Made-in-India 6G reaching across the country.

Gatishakti and faster connectivity

The fourth stream is Gatishakti, with the Prime Minister stressing the importance of speed and connectivity for India’s growth.

PM Modi called for greater emphasis on roads and expressways to support businesses and said the country needs seamless, high-speed connectivity.

He also highlighted high-speed rail connectivity between cities and port-led development as areas requiring greater focus.

Raksha Shakti and self-reliant defence

Defence is the fifth stream of Saptadhara.

PM Modi called for greater self-reliance in defence manufacturing and highlighted the need to develop advanced technologies in the sector.

He particularly stressed the importance of drone and counter-drone technology, saying India needs to invest in these areas.

The Prime Minister also said India should move beyond being a market for defence equipment and work towards becoming a global supplier by developing next-generation defence technologies.

Green and blue economy

Green energy forms the sixth stream of Saptadhara.

PM Modi called for greater innovation in green energy and said India should aim for global leadership in green hydrogen, renewable energy and energy storage while continuing to contribute solutions to global challenges.

He also highlighted opportunities in the Blue Economy, particularly in fisheries, coastal tourism and ocean technology, saying these areas can create new pathways for India’s growth.

Soft power

Soft power is the seventh stream identified by PM Modi.

He cited Yoga, handicrafts, films, animation, gaming, digital content and the creative sector as examples of India’s soft power.

The Prime Minister also highlighted India’s potential to attract global tourists and called for greater focus on the country’s tourism opportunities, including its national parks and other attractions.

With “Shakti Ki Saptadhara”, PM Modi outlined a broad growth framework covering manufacturing and agriculture, emerging technology, connectivity, defence, sustainable energy, the blue economy and India’s cultural and creative influence.