Enforcement Directorate is investigating allegations of money laundering against Virbhadra Singh
The Delhi High Court is likely to pronounce its verdict today on the plea of Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh and others seeking the quashing of a money-laundering case against them.
The arguments in the case have been heard by Justice RK Guaba, who is expected to give his order. The Enforcement Directorate or ED had earlier summoned 83-year-old Virbhadra Singh, his wife Pratibha Singh and son Vikramaditya Singh for questioning in this regard.
The ED had in September 2015 lodged the case against the chief minister and others under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) after taking cognisance of a criminal complaint filed by the CBI.
The CBI had filed a charge sheet on March 31, hours after the high court refused to quash the FIR lodged against Mr Singh and his wife in the disproportionate assets case.
The high court, which had rubbished the chief minister's claim that the FIR was the result of a "political vendetta", had paved the way for criminal proceedings which were stalled due to an October 1, 2015 order of the Himachal Pradesh High Court restraining the CBI from arresting, interrogating and filing the charge sheet against the accused.
The Enforcement Directorate had earlier termed Mr Singh's plea as "premature" for quashing of the money laundering case proceedings. It had said that the plea seeking a stay on the proceedings was "not maintainable" as the inquiry into the matter was at a preliminary stage.
The agency is investigating allegations against Mr Singh and his family members of having amassed wealth amounting to Rs 6.1 crore disproportionate to his 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 this case under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act.
In July 2016, Life Insurance Corporation of India or LIC agent Anand Chauhan was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate under provisions of the PMLA as he was allegedly not cooperating with the investigating officer of the case.
The probe agency had alleged that Mr Singh, while serving as the Union minister, had invested huge amounts in purchasing LIC policies in his and his family members' names through Mr Chauhan.