New Delhi: The CBI on Thursday initiated an enquiry against Himachal CM Virbhadra Singh into alleged disproportionate assets of Rs 6.1 crores allegedly amassed while he was serving as Union steel minister. This move, incidentally, comes just a day after its crackdown on another top Congress leader, Shankarsinh Vaghela, against whom the CBI registered an FIR on Wednesday.
The CBI said the probe against the Himachal CM is part of its inquiry into alleged payment of kickbacks to Mr Singh by a steel firm. CBI sources said the new PE is against Mr Singh, his wife Pratibha Singh, son Vikramaditya Singh, daughter Aparajita Singh and LIC agent Anand Chauhan.
The PE will probe Mr Singh’s unexplained income of Rs 6.1 crore in 2009-11 when he was steel minister in the UPA, sources said. They said it was alleged that Mr Singh, while steel minister, had invested the “ill-gotten” Rs 6.1 crore in life insurance policies through Mr Chauhan. Sources said during assessment years 2009-10, 2010-11 and 2011-12, Mr Singh had filed I-T returns showing his annual income as Rs 7.35 lakh, Rs 15 lakh and Rs 25 lakh respectively.
