ED summons Virbhadra in DA case

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has summoned Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh in a money laundering probe. This comes days after the agency attached a farmhouse belonging to Singh.

Singh is facing a probe by the CBI and the ED on amassing wealth (worth Rs 10.30 crore) disproportionate to his known sources of income during 2009-11 when he was the Union power minister. A few days ago, the CBI had filed a charge sheet against him and a few others, including his wife.

The fresh summons was issued to Singh as the investigating officers wanted to record his statement under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act. The ED has asked the chief minister to appear before it on Thursday. Singh had not appeared before the investigating officer when he was summoned earlier.

The ED has already quizzed his wife Pratibha and son Vikramaditya in the case. The agency had registered the case based on an FIR filed by the CBI. The total attachment by the ED against the chief minister now stands at Rs 35.22 crore, the first being in March 2016 when assets worth Rs 7.93 crore were seized.