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CBI files report on Virbhadra graft case [Mail Today (India)](Mail Today (India) Via Acquire Media NewsEdge) THE Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Monday filed its final status report in the Delhi High Court on its probe into allegations that Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh, during his earlier tenure as chief minister and Union minister, was involved in graft, money laundering and forgery. A bench of Chief Justice G. Rohini and Justice R. S. Endlaw also directed the Himachal Pradesh chief minister to file his affidavit in the court by Tuesday. The final status report of the CBI is filed in a sealed cover and same has been also taken on record, the bench said, adding that it will hear the arguments in the case on September 10. The bench said, " How can a party (Himachal Pradesh chief minister) be allowed to file its response without being issued a notice?" The response came after the counsel for Singh said that a notice should not be issued against the chief minister and he should be allowed to advance the arguments on the issues, including the maintainability of the PIL against him. The bench was hearing a PIL filed against the chief minister by NGO Common Cause. The high court had earlier asked the CBI to file its status report in the case. The bench had taken note of allegations of receipt of unaccounted money to the tune of nearly ` 5 crore by the chief minister, and filing of revised income tax (IT) returns for years 2009- 10, 2010- 11 and 2011- 12 by him. Singh had amassed assets disproportionate to the known sources of income, the PIL alleged and sought a courtmonitored probe by the CBI and the IT department into the charges of money laundering, corruption, disproportionate assets and criminal misconduct against Singh. The allegations also include cash payment to Singh of about ` 2.28 crore by an MNC steel firm during 2008 and 2010 when Singh was the Union steel minister. In order to explain the unaccounted money, Singh had filed revised IT returns for three assessment years, starting 2009, and an increase in agricultural income to the tune of ` 6.10 crore was shown, the PIL alleged. The Himachal Pradesh chief minister has dismissed the charges levelled against him as false and baseless. The PIL had also alleged a quid pro quo in relation to allotment of hydel power project at Sai Kothi to M/ s Venture Energy and Technology Pvt Ltd by Singh as the chief minister. It further alleged that Singh granted several extensions to the company for execution of the hydel project. It is clear that unsecured 'loans' amounting to ` 3.90 crore were received by Respondent No. 5 (Singh) and his wife (after Respondent No. 5 became the chief minister of Himachal Pradesh) from the director and promoter of M/ s Venture Energy, the company that he had favoured by granting an undue extension despite repeated defaults, it alleged. CBI's final status report was filed in a sealed cover and the bench has set the next hearing for September 10 (c) 2014 India Today Group. All Rights Reserved. Provided by SyndiGate Media Inc. (Syndigate.info). |