ED files money-laundering case against Himachal CM Virbhadra Singh

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Sunday demanded resignation of Himachal Pradesh chief minister Virbhadra Singh after Administration Directorate (ED) registered a money laundering case against him, and wondered “silence” of the Congress on the problem.

ED has registered the money laundering case against Singh and his wife in Delhi because it felt he might try to influence the probe if the case is registered in Chandigarh or Shimla, officials said.

ED investigators are also expected to question Singh and his other associates soon. A few assets bought during the period will also come under the ED scanner, an official said.

Describing the Congress silence over it as “shameful”, BJP said the Sonia-led party has tried to dismiss the corruption charges against Singh.

“The stop of vice-president and Congress president Sonia Gandhi Rahul Gandhi in that severe circumstance of problem is shameful”.

Apart from the Himachal Pradesh chief minister, the CBI has named his wife Pratibha Singh, LIC agent Anand Chauhan and Chauhan’s brother C L Chauhan and charged them under the Prevention of Corruption Act.

The company will work to research the allegation that Singh and his family members allegedly amassed wealth of Rs 6.1 crore between 2009-eleven, disproportionate to his recognized sources of revenue, whereas serving because the Union Minister of Steel.

“The agricultural revenue as claimed by him in his revised ITRs was not discovered to be tenable”.

The properties, according to officials, were purchased in the name of Singh’s family members and were found to be disproportionate to his known sources of income.

An Enforcement Case Information Report (ECIR), which is a formal FIR by the ED, was registered on the basis of a preliminary enquiry (PE) done by the agency through its sub-zonal office in Shimla.