Himachal Pradesh CM may appear before ED in PMLA case tomorrow

The Enforcement Directorate is likely to question Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh tomorrow in connection with a money laundering probe case against him and others.
The agency had, earlier this week, issued summons to Singh for personal appearance and it is likley that he may depose before the Investigating Officer (IO) of the case at an Enforcement Directorate (ED) office here.
Sources said that the CM will be questioned and his statement will be recorded under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).
The latest ED action comes close on the heels of filing of a charge sheet by the CBI against Singh, his wife and others for allegedlyamassing assets worth around Rs 10 crore disproportionate to their known sources of income.

The agency had summoned Singh earlier also, but then he had excused himself stating his official commitments.
The ED has already questioned his wife Pratibha and son Vikramaditya in connection with the case.

It had filed a case under the anti-money laundering law against the Himachal Pradesh CM, his family members and others after taking cognisance of a complaint filed by the CBI in this regard in September 2015.
The agency is probing allegations against Singh and his family members of amassing wealth disproportionate to their known sources of income between 2009 and 2011 when he was the Union Minister of Steel. It has also attached assets worth about Rs 14 crore in the case.

The CBI charge sheet alleged that the HP CM had amassed assets worth around Rs 10 crore which were disproportionate by 192 per cent of his total income during his tenure as a Union Minister.
The final report was filed against nine persons for alleged offences punishable under section 109 (abetment) and 465 (punishment for forgery) of IPC and Prevention of Corruption Act, arrayed around 225 witnesses and 442 documents.
Besides the 82-year-old Congress leader and his wife Pratibha Singh, the report also arraigned Chunni Lal Chauhan, Joginder Singh Ghalta, Prem Raj, Vakamulla Chandrasekhar, Lawan Kumar Roach and Ram Prakash Bhatia as accused.

It also named as accused LIC agent Anand Chauhan, who is currently in judicial custody.
Chauhan was arrested by the EDon July 9 last year in this money laundering case.