ED registers laundering case against Himachal CM Virbhadra Singh

Himachal Pradesh CM Virbhadra Singh on Sunday landed in fresh trouble, with the Enforcement Directorate (ED) registering a money-laundering case against him.

Virbhadra Singh was booked by the agency on charges under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act after taking cognisance of a criminal case registered against him by the CBI in September. Sources said ED investigators were likely to question Virbhadra Singh and his associates in a couple of days.

The investigation by the ED will be to find out how Virbhadra Singh and his family members allegedly amassed wealth amounting to Rs.6.1 crore between 2009 and 2011, disproportionate to his known sources of income, while serving as the union steel minister.

The CBI has already filed an FIR against Virbhadra Singh, his wife Pratibha Singh, insurance agent Anand Chauhan and Chauhan’s brother CL Chauhan under the Prevention of Corruption Act. The CBI suspects that during 2009-11, Virbhadra Singh allegedly invested Rs.6.1 crore in life insurance policies in his and his family members’ names through agent Chauhan, claiming the money to be his agricultural income.