A special CBI court will take up the Disproportionate Assets case against Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh and seven others on April 3, to take co-cognizance of the charge-sheet prepared by the investigating agency on the basis of FIR registered in September 2016.
In a Press statement, CBI has affirmed that it had filed charge-sheet in the Court of Special Judge, CBI, Patiala House Courts, New Delhi against then former Union Minister of Steel & Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises (MSME); his wife and seven other persons including lIC Agent, owner of a private firm based at Parwanoo (Himachal Pradesh), Stamp Vendor, MD of a Delhi based private firm on the allegations of possession of Disproportionate Assets on Friday.
It was alleged that during the period from May, 2009 to June, 2012, the then Minister of Steel & Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises(Government of India), New Delhi committed criminal misconduct and was found in possession of disproportionate assets worth Rs 10,30,47,946/-(approx) in his name as well as in the names of his family members, including wife & children.
The other accused had allegedly abetted the then Union Minister in committing the offence including false documents in the shape of Memorandum of Understanding, sale proceeds and also documents submitted by one of the accused before the Income Tax authorities during 2014 in respect of firms of other accused which were created & used to legitimise the disproportionate assets of the then Minister. The disproportion was to the extent of 192 percent to his known source of income.
CBI had registered the case on September 23 against then Union Minister, his wife, two private persons and unknown others on the allegations of possession of Disproportionate Assets.
This FIR was the outcome of a preliminary enquiry which revealed that the then Union Minister while serving during 2009-2012 had allegedly accumulated assets in his name and in the name of his family members which were found to be disproportionate to his known sources of income.
Searches were conducted on Sept 26, 2015 at 13 different locations in Shimla and Solan (Himachal Pradesh) and New Delhi which led to recovery of incriminating documents, property papers, investments, hard disks and pen drives.