Businessman Robert Vadra, husband of Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, has once again skipped his scheduled appearance before the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in connection with a money laundering case linked to UK-based arms dealer Sanjay Bhandari, official reports confirmed on Tuesday.

This marks the second time Vadra has missed the summons, after previously skipping the June 10 hearing. He had then cited flu-like symptoms from June 9 and informed the agency that he was undergoing a COVID test in line with health protocols.

His legal counsel clarified that Vadra was not attempting to evade the investigation and remained prepared to cooperate with the ED “anytime before or after his travel abroad later this month.”

The ED is summoning Vadra to record his statement under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), ahead of potentially filing a supplementary chargesheet in the case.

Notably, Vadra had earlier been questioned by the agency for three consecutive days in April regarding a separate money laundering probe into alleged irregularities in a 2008 land deal in Haryana. The businessman is currently under scrutiny in three separate ED investigations.

The ongoing probe is linked to fugitive arms consultant Sanjay Bhandari, who fled India in 2016 after an Income Tax raid at his Delhi residence. Investigators allege that Bhandari purchased the 12, Bryanston Square property in London in 2009 and renovated it “as per the directions of Robert Vadra, who provided the funds for the renovation,” according to a 2023 ED chargesheet.

The case took a further twist earlier this month when a UK court refused the Indian government’s plea to appeal Bhandari’s discharge in an extradition case, thereby dashing hopes of his return to India to face tria