Virbhadra Singh "non-cooperative" in probe: CBI tells HC

NEW DELHI: CBI today claimed in Delhi High Court that a witness was "pressurised" to retract from his statement in the disproportionate assets case against Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh, who was being "non-cooperative" in the investigation.

Justice Pratibha Rani, who asked Singh to join the probe in the matter and directed CBI not to arrest him, was told by Additional Solicitor General (ASG) P S Patwalia, appearing for CBI, that during the probe, statement under section 164 CrPC of one Saroj Singh, employee of a firm which had allegedly purchased apples from Singh's orchard, was recorded.

"We have his statement under section 164 CrPC. He says all the receipts are forged. According to our information, that man is being pressurised to retract his statement," he claimed.

Regarding Singh, the agency alleged that his conduct was "non-cooperative", as when a communication was sent to him by the investigating officer (IO) seeking the original paper of a document, the Chief Minister had initially said it was untraceable but later said it was lost.

However as soon as the hearing commenced, the court told the ASG, "I am only hearing on the application. I am not hearing on merits."

Patwalia, however, said the allegations against Singh were serious.

Referring to an agreement relating to this case, he said during the probe, it was also found that this agreement was executed with a back date on a stamp paper which came out of the state government's printing press three months later.

"The focal issue is the June 2008 agreement which contains four papers. The first page is a stamp paper and the remaining three pages are judicial papers," Patwalia said, claiming that the three judicial papers were printed in September 2008.

"These papers left the printing press on September 25, 2008. How was the agreement done on these papers in June 2008," he asked, adding that "the Himachal Pradesh printing press released the paper in September, then how can it be used in June. He (Singh) should join the investigation."