PMLA case involving HP CM Virbhadra Singh: LIC agent chargesheeted by ED

NEW DELHI: Enforcement Directorate today filed a charge sheet against LIC agent Anand Chauhan in a money laundering case involving Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh and others.

The agency filed the final report before special judge Vinod Kumar and told the court that probe into the case was still going on and they may file a supplementary charge sheet later.

The charge sheet was filed for offences under sections 3 (money-laundering) and 4 (punishment for the offence) of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) Act.

Chauhan, who is currently in judicial custody, was arrested from Chandigarh on July 9 under the provisions of PMLA as he was allegedly not cooperating with the probe.

The agency had earlier claimed that Singh "while serving as a Union minister, had invested huge amounts in purchasing LIC policies in his own name and that of his family members through Chauhan".

"Virbhadra Singh, while functioning as a Union minister during the period from May 28, 2009, to June 26, 2012, acquired assets, disproportionate to his known sources of income to the tune of Rs 6,03,70,782 and further tried to justify the same in the form of agricultural income.

"Pratibha Singh, wife of Virbhadra Singh, Chauhan, with whom Virbhadra Singh had signed the alleged MoU for managing his apple orchard, and Chunni Lal Chauhan, proprietor of M/s Universal Apple Associates, who purportedly showed purchase of apples from Shrikhand Orchard, have facilitated in justifying the disproportionate assets of Virbhadra Singh and thereby abetted the offence," the ED had alleged.