Money laundering case: Virbhadra’s LIC agent alleges torture by ED

NEW DELHI: A special court sent chief minister Virbhadra Singh’s LIC agent Anand Chauhan to judicial custody on Wednesday till July 26.

Additional sessions judge Vinod Kumar, sent the agent Anand Chauhan to jail after which he moved a bail application which the court put up for hearing on July 19.

The court has asked the Enforcement Department (ED) to file reply to the bail plea on the date of hearing.

During the hearing, Chauhan, who was produced after his expiry of four days ED custody, alleged that he was tortured during the period by some agency’s officials who asked him to turn an approver in the case. The court sought the agency’s response to these allegations.

Chauhan was arrested from Chandigarh on January 9 after which, he was produced before the court here which sent him to four-day ED custody.

Chauhan was arrested under the provisions of Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) as he was allegedly not cooperating with the investigating officer of the case.

ED claimed in the court that during Chauhan’s interrogation, it was revealed that as an LIC agent, he had entered into a modus operandi to launder disproportionate assets by investing in LIC policies.

“Investigations are being conducted and more persons are likely to be summoned/ examined. Therefore, it is in the interest of investigation that Anand Chauhan be remanded to judicial custody for 14 days as the probe is at a crucial stage and release of the accused may hamper the probe,” it said.

Appearing for the ED, advocate N K Matta submitted that

Singh, “While serving as Union minister, Government of India, invested huge amount in purchasing LIC policies in his own name and his family members through Chauhan.”

“Further, Virbhadra Singh, while functioning as Union Minister, Government of India during the period from May 28, 2009, to June 26, 2012, acquired assets, disproportionate to his known sources of income to the tune of `6,03,70,782 and further tried to justify the same in the form of agricultural income. “Pratibha Singh, wife of Virbhadra Singh, Chauhan, with whom Virbhadra Singh has signed the alleged MoU for managing his apple orchard and Chunni Lal Chauhan, proprietor of M/s Universal Apple Associates, who purportedly showed purchase of apple of Shrikhand Orchard, have facilitated in justifying the disproportionate assets of Virbhadra Singh and thereby abetted the offence,” the ED alleged.

SPECIAL COURT IN DELHI SENDS ANAND CHAUHAN TO JUDICIAL CUSTODY; HIS BAIL PLEA TO COME UP ON JULY 19