The Enforcement Directorate (ED) is likely to examine Pratibha Singh, wife of Virbhadra Singh, in connection with its investigation in the disproportionate assets case against the Himachal Pradesh chi
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) is likely to examine Pratibha Singh, wife of Virbhadra Singh, in connection with its investigation in the disproportionate assets case against the Himachal Pradesh chief minister.
Sources said the agency may examine her next week. The ED recently arrested Anand Chauhan, an insurance agent from Chandigarh, in connection with the case.
“If required, other family members of the Himachal CM may also be called for clarifications. There are allegations that Mr Singh and his family members amassed wealth of Rs 6.1 crore between 2009 and 2011 when he was the Union minister of steel”, sources said.
The ED suspects that during the 2009-11 period, Himachal CM Virbhadra Singh had allegedly invested Rs 6.1 crore in life insurance policies on his and his family members’ names through an agent, claiming this money to be his agricultural income. It is alleged that Mr Singh attempted to legitimise the same as agricultural income by filing revised income-tax returns in 2012, they said.
Meanwhile, seeking relief from any action against him, Virbhadra Singh on Friday approached Delhi high court to issue a direction to the ED on not to take any coercive step against him in the wake of the arrest of an insurance agent. The plea came up for hearing before Justice A.K. Pathak who recused from hearing the matter and listed it for July 19 before another bench.
In his plea, Mr Singh said he apprehended that the ED might arrest him on the basis of alleged disclosure statement of insurance agent Anand Chauhan. Chauhan, currently in judicial custody, was arrested by the ED under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) as he was allegedly not cooperating with the investigating agency. The probe agency had alleged that Mr Singh, while serving as Union Steel Minister, had invested huge amounts in purchasing LIC policies in his and his family members’ names through Mr Chauhan. Singh’s separate plea seeking quashing of the money laundering proceedings was also pending before the high court and would come up for further hearing on July 29. ED had last year lodged a money laundering case against Mr Singh and others under the PMLA after taking cognisance of a criminal complaint filed by the CBI in this regard.
