DA case: CBI raids Himachal CM’s residence

Facing a CBI preliminary inquiry in a disproportionate assets case, Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh on Saturday faced major embarrassment as an 18-member team of CBI officials raided his residence Holly Lodge, Shimla this morning.

The officials entered Virbhadra’s residence in five vehicles which had Chandigarh and Punjab registration numbers.

Searches were conducted at 11 locations in Himachal Pradesh and Delhi.

The searches at Delhi, Shimla and others places started within minutes of the 81-year-old Singh leaving his official residence for Sankat Mochan temple here at 7.30 am to solemnise marriage of his second daughter.

However, Virbhadra Singh refuted the allegations.

The sources said it is alleged that he got an unexplained income of Rs 6.1 crore during the period 2009-11 when he was serving as the Minister of Steel in the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance government.

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They said such unsuccessful attempts had been made by BJP in the past also when false FIRs were registered against Virbhadra Singh by the State BJP leaders but every time after facing Court trials he had come out clean and safe. They said, “we are fearing the misuse of central investigating agencies to implicate Mr. Singh by making false accusations”.

Soon after the raid in the chief minister’s Shimla residence, Chief Secretary P Mitra and Director General of Police Sanjay Kumar reached there.

“Be it Mulayam Singh Yadav, Mayawati or Mamata Banerjee if you don’t fall in line and cooperate in Parliament, the CBI is prepared”, the Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha informed reporters right here.

The agency has been conducting a preliminary enquiry against Singh, his wife Pratibha Singh, his son Vikramaditya Singh, his daughter Aparajita Singh and a LIC agent Anand Chauhan to probe disproportionate assets acquired by the family.

Reacting to the developments, Suresh Bharadwaj of the BJP and party spokesperson Ganesh Dutt demanded the immediate resignation of Virbhadra Singh.

They said it is alleged that Singh while serving as the Union minister invested Rs 6.1 crore in life insurance policies through LIC agent Chauhan.

“Is this democracy or emergency? Why is the PM (prime minister) eager to jail Virbhadra Singh in I-T (income tax) dispute involving meager Rs.5 crore?”