No relief for Virbhadra in money laundering case
NEW DELHI: In a setback to Himachal Pradesh chief minister Virbhadra Singh, the Delhi high court on Monday refused to quash criminal proceedings initiated against him by the enforcement directorate (ED) under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).
Dismissing petitions filed by Virbhadra, his wife Pratibha and son Vikramaditya Singh, justice RK Gauba said: “The petitions are devoid of substance, consequentially the same are dismissed.”
The enforcement directorate had summoned 83-year-old Virbhadra, his wife and son for questioning in connection with the allegation that the leader and his family members had amassed assets worth ₹6.1 crore between 2009 and 2011, which were disproportionate to their known sources of income at the time. During that period, Virbhadra was Union steel minister. The summons were issued after the law enforcement agency had in September 2015 lodged the case against Virbhadra and others under the PMLA after taking cognisance of a criminal complaint filed by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).
In March this year, the Delhi high court had refused to set aside another disproportionate assets case against Virbhadra and his family members, which was investigated by the CBI. The agency has filed a chargesheet in the case. The Delhi high court had then dismissed Virbhadra’s claim that the FIR was the result of a “political vendetta” and 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 chargesheet against the accused.
The ED had earlier termed as “premature” Virbhadra’s plea for quashing the money laundering case proceedings.
It had added that the plea seeking a stay on the proceedings was “not maintainable” as the inquiry into the matter was at a preliminary stage.
In July 2016, Virbhadra’s LIC agent Anand Chauhan was arrested by the ED under provisions of the PMLA as he was allegedly not cooperating with the investigating officer of the case.