The Himachal Pradesh High Court has once again rejected an application of the Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association (HPCA) to implead Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh in a land allotment dispute case.

A division bench comprises Chief Justice Mansoor Ahmad Mir and Justice Tarlok Singh Chauhan observed “No specific mala fide or bias is averred against the proposed respondents. It is stated in some paragraphs that action of the respondents is on the basis of the Congress chargesheet, but there is nothing specific that it was on the directions of CM Virbhadra Singh.”

The court, however, partially allowed the writ petitioners to file an amended petition within a week and listed the matter for next hearing June 18.

High Court had earlier also dismissed the plea filed by the HPCA to implead Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh and other government functionaries in the case. Aggrieved with this order, the HPCA had moved the Supreme Court, which sent the matter back to the High Court for deciding it afresh.