No intention to arrest Virbhadra's wife as of now: ED to HC

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) today told the Delhi High Court that it has no intention as of now to arrest Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh's wife Pratibha Singh in connection with a money laundering case lodged against him.
ED told Justice Vipin Sanghi that she is to be questioned tomorrow and thereafter, if the agency is satisfied that a case is made out against her then it will inform the court prior to arresting her.
The agency, however, said that its statement be not recorded in the order as it could be cited as precedent in other cases.
"In view of what has transpired in court today. No orders are being passed," the judge said and issued notice to ED seeking its reply on Pratibha Singh's application seeking protection from arrest till next date of hearing on August 24.

Senior advocate Dayan Krishnan, appearing for Pratibha Singh, said on the last date of hearing, Additional Solicitor General Sanjay Jain had submitted orally that she won't be arrested but as this statement was not on record there was apprehension of her arrest.
Krishnan urged the court that something be put in the order to protect Pratibha Singh.

Central government standing counsel Amit Mahajan, on the other hand, told the court that the statement made on behalf of ED be not recorded as it could be cited as precedent.
He also said that as of now ED has no intention to arrest her and after recording her statement tomorrow if a case is made out against her, then it will inform the court.

On last date of hearing on July 29, the court had asked ED not to take any coercive step against her on August 9, when she appears before the agency for recording her statement, and said that in case it wanted to further question her it will have to give reasons for it.
The July 29 order came on Pratibha Singh's plea seeking a direction to ED not to take any coercive step against her in the wake of the arrest of an LIC agent in the case.
Besides his wife, Singh has also moved the court, seeking protection from arrest in the case. However, he has not been summoned by ED so far.

In his plea, Singh has said he apprehended that ED might arrest him on the basis of an alleged disclosure statement of insurance agent Anand Chauhan, who was recently arrested from Chandigarh in connection with the case.
Chauhan was arrested by ED under provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) as he was allegedly not cooperating with the investigating officer of the case.
The probe agency had alleged that Singh, while serving as the Union Steel Minister, had invested huge amounts in purchasing LIC policies in his and his family members' names through Chauhan.
ED had last year lodged the case against Singh and others under PMLA after taking cognisance of a criminal complaint filed by CBI in this regard.

CBI had lodged a separate disproportionate assets case against Singh and others alleging that he and his family members had amassed wealth of Rs 6.1 crore between 2009 and 2011 disproportionate to the known sources of income.
Earlier, CBI had moved Delhi High Court after the Supreme Court transferred its plea seeking vacation of the Himachal Pradesh High Court's interim order restraining it from arresting, interrogating or filing a charge sheet against Virbhadra.