Virbhadra, wife summoned in money laundering case

Special court takes cognisance of the complaint filed by the Enforcement Directorate

February 13, 2018 02:29 am | Updated 02:29 am IST - New Delhi

Kangra 01/11/2017:
Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh at an election rally at Palampur in Kangra district of Himachal Pradesh on Wednesday, November 01 2017. Photo: Akhilesh Kumar Kangra 01/11/2017:
Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh at an election rally at Palampur in Kangra district of Himachal Pradesh on Wednesday, November 01 2017. Photo: Akhilesh Kumar -

Kangra 01/11/2017: Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh at an election rally at Palampur in Kangra district of Himachal Pradesh on Wednesday, November 01 2017. Photo: Akhilesh Kumar Kangra 01/11/2017: Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh at an election rally at Palampur in Kangra district of Himachal Pradesh on Wednesday, November 01 2017. Photo: Akhilesh Kumar -

A Special court on Monday summoned former Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh, his wife and three others in a ₹7-crore money laundering case.

Taking cognisance of the complaint filed by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) through Special Public Prosecutor N.K. Matta against the accused persons on February 1, Special Judge Santosh Snehi Mann summoned them on March 22, stating that there was prima facie enough evidence against them. The other accused who were summoned are Universal Apple Associate owner Chunni Lal Chauhan, Prem Raj and Lawan Kumar Roach.

The ED has accused Mr. Singh of projecting about ₹7 crore proceeds of crime as agricultural income in connivance with his wife and the other accused persons and investing it in insurance policies.

“The proceeds were projected as agricultural income with the help of Anand Chauhan, an LIC agent and an accused in the case, and Mr. Chunni Lal Chauhan, and were invested in insurance policies in the name of Mr. Singh and his family members. A major portion of the money, after going crossing through various bank accounts, found its way into acquisition of immovable property,” the complaint alleged.

The ED further alleged that Mr. Anand Chauhan actively participated in the laundering. Mr. Singh and his wife are also facing prosecution in a disproportionate assets case.

The CBI has accused Mr. Singh of amassing assets worth ₹10.30 crore between May 2009 and June 2012, when he was the Union Steel Minister. The agency has alleged that the LIC agent helped Mr. Singh invest unaccounted money in life insurance policies. In his annual returns, Mr. Singh later showed the additional amount as income from the sale of apples from his orchard. An MoU was later prepared showing the LIC agent as the orchard manager. Mr. Raj and Mr. Roach were shown as witnesses.

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