The Delhi High Court has directed Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to give status report on the action taken by it regarding the corruption allegations against Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh.
The CBI has submitted before the Delhi High Court that it has received a complaint against Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh on allegations of corruption during his tenure as the Union Steel Minister and has begun its investigation in the case.
A bench of Chief Justice N V Ramana and Justice Manmohan asked CBI to file its report by February 12 on a PIL accusing the chief minister of corruption, money laundering, amassing disproportionate assets and criminal misconduct during his tenure as Union Steel Minister.
The PIL filed by NGO Common Cause has sought direction to the CBI and the DG Income Tax (Investigations) to initiate an investigation against Virbhadra Singh under the supervision of the Court or the CVC.
Petitioner has alleged that despite complaints to the Centre, CBI and CVC; no action has been taken. However, during the proceedings, CBI said it is at an enquiry stage and IT department is also probing the allegations.
Advocate Prashant Bhushan, who is also a member of NGO Common Cause, appeared for it and demanded to issue notice against the respondents, but the high court refused to do so as CBI is examining the allegations. Bhushan pleaded that there were several primary documents like Income Tax returns and affidavits filed with nomination papers linking the Congress leader to “dubious transactions” and investments involving large sums of money when he was a minister in the central government.
