New Delhi
Vaibhav Gehlot, the son of Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot, revealed that he had requested a 15-day extension from the Enforcement Directorate (ED) to appear before them, but he was granted only a single day. He made this statement after his appearance before the financial probe agency on Monday. After being questioned for over two hours and departing for a lunch break, Vaibhav spoke to the media, saying, I had asked for 15 days of time, but they only gave me a day. Vaibhav, who also serves as the President of the Rajasthan Cricket Association, expressed the view that the ED should have allowed him more time. The ED had summoned Vaibhav in connection with a case under the Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA) and had originally asked him to appear on Friday. However, he had requested additional time and informed the ED that he would be available for questioning on Monday. The summons to Vaibhav were linked to the agency’s actions in August this year, which involved a FEMA case related to Triton Hotels and Resorts Pvt. Ltd., Vardha Enterprises Pvt. Ltd., and their Directors, Promoters Shiv Shankar Sharma, Rattan Kant Sharma, and others. In September, the ED had conducted searches in various locations, including Jaipur, Udaipur, Mumbai, and Delhi, related to this case. During the operations, unaccounted cash amounting to Rs 1.27 crore, incriminating documents, and digital evidence were seized, revealing substantial off-the-books transactions that had been invested in hotel development. The ED’s case was based on credible information indicating that Triton Hotels and Resorts Pvt. Ltd. had received foreign direct investment from Mauritius-based Shivnar Holdings Ltd at a significant premium, which had been revised multiple times in violation of FEMA provisions. The agency also noted that the Triton Group had been involved in Hawala transactions with cross-border implications.
