Himachal CM doesn't own avehicle, has more jewellery than wife

Congress leader and six-time Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh on Friday revealed he and his family has no vehicle but movable assets worth over Rs 9.5 crore.

Interestingly, the octogenarian Congress leader owns jewellery more than his wife Pratibha Singh. His jewellery worth is Rs 3 lakh more than his wife's Rs 47 lakh.

In an affidavit on his properties and assets filed along with the nomination papers for the November 9 assembly elections, Virbhadra Singh said he and Pratibha Singh, a former MP, have Rs 7.15 crore and Rs 2.51 crore respectively as deposits with financial instruments, jewellery and other movable assets.

The former Union Minister and his wife have insurance policies worth Rs 1 crore each.

Virbhadra Singh is pitted against the Bharatiya Janata Party's greenhorn Ratan Singh Pal from the Arki seat in Solan district.

The Singh couple is facing charges of disproportionate assess.

The probe against him and his family members was initiated following graft allegations against him during his tenure as the Union Steel Minister from 2009 to 2011.

A case was registered on September 23, 2015, under the Prevention of Corruption Act against the Chief Minister, his wife Pratibha Singh, Life Insurance Corporation agent Anand Chauhan and associate Chunni Lal.

It was registered after a preliminary inquiry allegedly found that Virbhadra Singh accumulated assets worth Rs 6.03 crore in his name and in the name of his family members, which were disproportionate to his known sources of income.

--IANS

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