CBI files case against Himachal CM Virbhadra in graft case

The investigative agency conducts searches at 11 places in Himachal Pradesh and Delhi

In a major setback, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) registered a disproportionate assets case against Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh. The investigative agency conducted searches at 11 places in Himachal Pradesh and Delhi, including his residence at Shimla.

“The PE (preliminary enquiry) against Virbhadra Singh, the then Union minister, and others regarding allegations of possession of disproportionate assets has been converted into a regular case under the Prevention of Corruption Act and thereafter searches are being conducted,” said a CBI spokesperson here on Saturday.

The developments came on a day when Singh's daughter was getting married. It is alleged that Singh, when he was serving as the Minister of Steel in the previous government, got an unexplained income during 2009-11. The investigative agency began the search on Saturday morning soon after Singh had left his residence in Shimla for the wedding function, sources in Shimla told Press Trust of India.

The agency had initiated the inquiry in June against Singh, his wife Pratibha Singh, son Vikramaditya Singh, daughter Aparajita Singh and an LIC agent Anand Chauhan for allegedly amassing wealth of Rs 6.1 crore disproportionate during 2009-11 to the known sources of income.

Sources said Singh had invested Rs 6.1 crore in life insurance policies in his and his family members’ names through LIC agent Chauhan. The 18-member raiding team arrived at the chief minister's residence in five vehicles, minutes after Singh and his family members left for the marriage of his daughter. Apparently, the chief minister and his ministers had some inkling about registration of FIR against him as all the 11 Cabinet ministers had issued a joint statement accusing the Bharatiya Janata Party-led government of using pressure tactics to destabilise the Congress government in the state.

"We apprehend pressure tactics from the BJP-led Central government to destabilise and arm twist the democratically elected popular Congress government in Himachal Pradesh under the leadership of Virbhadra Singh, who is the tallest Congress leader," the ministers had said in signed statement issued here on Friday.

The ministers — Vidya Stokes, Kaul Singh Thakur, G S Bali, Sujan Singh Pathania, Thakur Singh Bharmouri, Mukesh Agnihotri, Sudhir Sharma, Prakash Chaudhary, Dhani Ram Shandil, Anil Sharma and Karan Singh — said they feared "misuse" of Central probe agencies to implicate Virbhadra Singh by making "false and fabricated cases" against him and noted the income tax cases against him were already sub judice.

Charging that "BJP was making a desperate bid to divert attention of the people by attempting to register false FIRs against established Congress leaders whereas they were maintaining complete silence over questionable conduct of their own leaders", the ministers claimed the BJP was totally cornered on the issue of involvement of its leaders including chief ministers and senior Central ministers in various scams.

They said that the income tax matters related to Virbhadra Singh were already pending before Income Tax Appellate Authorities and courts and the CBI after going into a detail inquiry had already submitted its preliminary inquiry report to the Delhi High Court.