Trouble for Virbhadra Singh, court to consider chargesheet against him

The CBI had booked the accused on charges of abetment of crime and forgery under the Indian Penal Code and the Prevention of Corruption Act.

New Delhi, May 1: A court in the national capital on Monday said it will consider the chargesheet filed against Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh, his wife Pratibha Singh and others in a disproportionate assets case.

Special Judge Virender Kumar Goyal listed the matter for May 3 for considering the chargesheet.

Meanwhile, Pratibha Singh withdrew her application alleging that the Central Bureau of Investigation did not follow proper procedure while probing the case.

Her defence counsel had told the court that as per the Delhi high court guidelines, the CBI should have sought permission from the Himachal Pradesh government before conducting a probe against her.

Besides Virbhadra Singh and his wife, Life Insurance Corp agent Anand Chauhan, his associate Chunni Lal, Joginder Singh Ghalta, Prem Raj, Lawan Kumar Roach, Vakamullah Chandrashekhara and Ram Prakash Bhatia have been chargesheeted in the case.

The CBI had booked the accused on charges of abetment of crime and forgery under the Indian Penal Code and the Prevention of Corruption Act.

The case was registered on September 23, 2015 after preliminary inquiry found that Virbhadra Singh, as the union Steel Minister (2009-12), allegedly accumulated assets worth Rs 6.03 crore, disproportionate to his known sources of income.

IANS