In a major embarrassment ahead of general elections, Himachal Pradesh High Court on Friday issued notice to Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh and his parliamentarian wife Pratibha Singh in the infamous CD case.
The notice was issued by the High Court on the petition moved by former chairman of Himachal Pradesh Subordinate Service Commission (SSC) board SM Katwal.
Single bench of Justice Dharam Chand Chaudhary passed these orders on the application of Katwal for condonation of delay in filing appeal against the orders of acquittal of Chief minister Virbhadra Singh and now Mandi MP Pratibha Singh by the court of Bl Soni special judge (forests), Shimla in the infamous CD case.
SM Katwal in his petition has filed an appeal in the High Court, challenging the orders dated December 24, 2012 of the Special Judge (Forests), Shimla in a corruption case involving an audio CD, allegedly
containing the conversation of Chief Minister Virbhadra
Singh and now Mandi MP Pratibha Singh with an IAS Officer Mohinder lal (now deceased) for obtaining pecuniary advantages from two companies.
As the period of limitation for filing appeal against the orders of the special court
has expired, the court is first hearing the application for condonation of delay and granted time to the respondents for filing their replies till April 17.
Katwal in his petition has alleged that the State Government has not filed appeal against the orders, as it is headed by Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh himself, who was an accused in the case.
Katwal also claimed that he is the ‘victim’ and
de-facto complainant in the case, as he had first filed petition in the High Court seeking directions for conducting CBI inquiry into the case and the applicant is a whistle blower, who had initiated the legal proceedings culminating in the registration of the
criminal case.
Virbhadra Singh and his wife were acquitted in the case on December 24 a day before he was sworn-in as Chief Minister of the State on December 25. Pratibha Singh was later elected as Member of Parliament from Mandi in a byelection.
Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh had to resign from union cabinet in 2011, after charges were framed in the special court in the same CD case.