The Enforcement Directorate on Friday moved the Delhi High Court seeking cancellation of anticipatory bail granted to Robert Vadra in a money laundering case.

Vadra, brother-in-law of Congress president Rahul Gandhi and husband of Priyanka Gandhi, was granted anticipatory bail by a trial court here on April 1.

ED Prosecutor DP Singh who moved the application said the protection granted to Vadra would be detrimental for the purpose of investigation. The matter is likely to be listed for hearing before the court on Monday.

Besides Vadra, the agency has also challenged the anticipatory bail granted to Manoj Arora, an employee of Vadra’s Skylight Hospitality LLP and a co-accused in the case.

Vadra is facing money laundering allegations in purchase of a London-based property at 12, Bryanston Square worth 1.9 million pounds.

The trial court, while granting Vadra relief, had directed him not to leave the country without prior permission and also to join the investigation as and when called by the investigating officer.

The court had observed in its order that Vadra’s office premises were searched on December 7 and 8, 2018 and voluminous documents running into nearly 20,000 pages were seized. The court had further noted that he had filed application for anticipatory bail on February 1 and on February 6 and he was directed to join the investigation.

The ED had opposed Vadra’s bail plea, saying he was “needed to be dealt with custodial interrogation and that there was a risk of tampering with the investigation”.

In his application, Vadra had alleged that he was being subjected to “unwarranted, unjustified and malicious criminal prosecution which on the face of it is completely politically motivated and is

being carried out for reasons other than those prescribed under law”.

The ED had also alleged that Arora, a close aide of Vadra, was aware of his overseas undeclared assets and was instrumental in arranging funds for the purchase of Vadra’s London property.