ED registers money-laundering case against Virbhadra Singh

A money laundering case has been registered against Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh by the Enforcement Directorate (ED).

The case has been filed under provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act after taking cognizance of a criminal complaint filed by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in September.

Sources have been quoted by the All India Radio, as saying that investigators have gathered some important documents to probe and detect the proceeds of crime allegedly chanelled by Singh and his associates by using purported illegal funds.

It is being reported that Singh and members of his family allegedly amassed 6.1 crore rupees between 2009 and 2011, disproportionate to his known sources of income, while serving as the Union Minister of Steel.

Apart from the Himachal Pradesh chief minister, the CBI has named his wife Pratibha Singh, LIC agent Anand Chauhan and Chauhan's brother C L Chauhan and charged them under the Prevention of Corruption Act.

CBI had also carried out searches at various premises belonging to Singh and family immediately after the filing of the First Information Report (FIR).