Disproportionate assets case a witch-hunt: Himachal CM

Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh on Tuesday said the registration of a disproportionate assets case against him and his wife by the CBI was a political witch-hunt.

"Accusing me of possessing unaccounted wealth and income is like a witch-hunt. Since I am a scion of an erstwhile royal family, I have inherited property from my ancestors," the chief minister said at a public rally near Rohru town, some 120 km from state capital Shimla.

"False cases were framed against me twice by the then BJP government in Himachal Pradesh and both times I came out clean," he said.

Referring to his acquittal in a corruption case in December 2012, the chief minister said: "My acquittal was challenged but it was turned down by the Supreme Court, sending shock waves in the opposition camp."

Praising senior BJP leader and parliamentarian Shanta Kumar, Virbhadra Singh said though he could have difference of opinion with Shanta Kumar, a former chief minister of Himachal, he (Shanta) was a man of principles.

Virbhadra Singh's residences in Shimla and Delhi were raided on September 26 by the CBI in a disproportionate assets case.

However, the Himachal high court on October 1 asked the CBI not to arrest the chief minister and his wife in the case but directed it to go ahead with the investigation.

"...by way of abundant precaution, it's made clear that the petitioners shall not be arrested," a division bench of Justice Rajiv Sharma and Justice Sureshwar Singh Thakur said while hearing a writ petition filed by Virbhadra Singh.