Himachal CM's assets worth Rs 8 cr attached in money laundering case

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Wednesday issued orders for attachment of assets of Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh worth Rs 7.93 crore, including a flat in a posh locality here, in connection with a money laundering case.

“ED attaches properties worth Rs 7.93 crores in money laundering case against Shri Virbhadra Singh,” the agency tweeted.

The provisional attachment order include seizure of properties like LIC policies, bank fixed deposits and two storeys of a building in south Delhi’s Greater Kailash-I. These assets are being considered by the ED as proceeds of crime.

Singh dubbed the ED order as a “Holi gift” and that it was a “dirty political conspiracy of the BJP.” On Twitter, the chief minister wrote, “It is one more dirty political conspiracy by the BJP. Like the ED raid on the day of my daughter’s marriage, this is a gift on the occasion of Holi.”

Singh said he is a fighter and that he will continue to fight such politically motivated battles. “I have full faith in the judiciary of the country. Satyamev Jayate”.

The ED had filed a money laundering case on the basis of CBI FIR that accused Singh and his family members of amassing wealth of Rs 6.1 crore between 2009-11, disproportionate to their known sources of income, while serving as the Union minister of steel. The CBI had in September named Singh, his wife Pratibha Singh, LIC agent Anand Chauhan and Chauhan’s brother C L Chauhan in money laundering case.

Singh had approached Delhi High Court but it refused to grant any interim stay on money laundering proceedings.