Himachal CM PMLA case: ED arrests LIC agent Chauhan

In the first arrest in connection with its money laundering case against Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh, ED today took into custody LIC agent Anand Chauhan.

Chauhan was arrested from Chandigarh under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) as he was allegedly not cooperating with the investigating officer of the case, officials said.

"Chauhan will be produced in a competent court. As he is not cooperating, his custodial interrogation is necessary," they said.

The LIC agent is a crucial entity in this case as both the Enforcement Directorate and the CBI have earlier found that Chauhan was the one who allegedly insured the said tainted funds of the CM in life insurance policies.

ED had questioned him multiple times in this case earlier.

The agency has also attached assets worth about Rs eight crore against the Chief Minister earlier this year.

The agency has filed a case under criminal provisions of money laundering laws after taking cognisance of a complaint filed by the CBI in this regard in September last year.

ED had also conducted searches in this case last year in three states of Delhi, Maharashtra and West Bengal.

The agency is working to investigate the allegation that Singh and his family members allegedly amassed wealth of Rs 6.1 crore between 2009-11, disproportionate to his known sources of income, while serving as the Union minister of steel.

The CBI FIR (First Information Report) had named Singh, his wife Pratibha Singh, Chauhan and his brother C L Chauhan and they were charged under the Prevention of Corruption Act.

CBI suspects that during the 2009-11 period, Singh allegedly invested Rs 6.1 crore in life insurance policies in his and his family members’ names through Chauhan claiming this money to be his agricultural income.

It alleged that Singh attempted to legitimise the same as agricultural income by filing revised Income-Tax returns in 2012.