PMLA case: Day before ED appearance, Virbhadra seeks divine intervention
A day before Himachal Pradesh chief minister Virbhadra Singh was to depose before the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in connection with a money laundering case, the CM flew to Bhimakali temple at Sarahan— deity of the erstwhile Bashahr state—along with wife Pratibha Singh and son Vikramaditya Singh.
Sources say that a special priest from Rampur was also called in to Sarahan and the CM returned to Shimla by around 5.30 pm.
The ED had summoned Virbhadra Singh to appear before it on April 13 to record his statement in connection with a disproportionate assets case.
Meanwhile, sources close to the CM told Hindustan Times that Virbhadra Singh won’t depose before the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Thursday. The source claimed that the ED had sent a questionnaire, which the CM had already answered.
“The questionnaire has been answered by the chief minister and there is no question of noncooperation with the agency,” said a source requesting anonymity.
Earlier on Tuesday, when asked about the ED summon, Singh had told mediapersons, “I will go there. I have always deposed before the CBI, ED and income tax. If any agency summons me, I will go.”
As per the tour programme released by the chief minister’s office (CMO) on Tuesday, Virbhadra Singh was scheduled to fly to Delhi on Wednesday and remain there till April 14.
On Wednesday, the CMO said that Virbhadra Singh will tour nearly half a dozen villages, including Shoghi, Chanog, Shakrah, Kohbag, of his assembly segment Shimla (rural) on Thursday.
THE CASE
In August 2016, the ED had questioned Virbhadra’s wife Pratibha Singh and son Vikramaditya Singh. A case was registered by the ED in 2015 on the complaint of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) after it raided Holy Lodge, Virbhadra’s private residence in Shimla.
The CBI is probing charges against Virbhadra Singh and his family members for amassing disproportionate assets to the tune of ₹6.1 crore between 2009 and 2011 when he was Union minister for steel.
The CBI recently filed a chargesheet after the Delhi high court dismissed Virbhadra’s petition seeking quashing of the case filed by CBI.
The court also revoked the restraining order given by the Himachal Pradesh high court.
THE ED HAD SUMMONED VIRBHADRA SINGH TO RECORD HIS STATEMENT IN A DISPROPORTIONATE ASSETS CASE