The CBI is likely to soon convert the Preliminary Enquiry (PE) against Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh into a Regular Case (RC) with the agency sleuths claiming they have “enough material evidence” suggesting transfer of money to his bank accounts.
According to allegations, Singh had filed revised Income Tax returns to cover up alleged payoffs of Rs 2.8 crore as agricultural income for assessment years 2009-10, 2010-11 and 2011-12 during his stint as Steel Minister at the Centre. Singh was Steel Minister between May 2009 and January 2011.
The PE was registered in October last year and Singh was questioned earlier this year. The CBI had registered the PE on the basis of a complaint made by State Trading Corporation (STC) asking it to probe payments made to STC officials by private companies.
“The enquiry has substantiated the allegations and the evidence collected is enough to seek a formal investigation,” a source said.
lawyer Prashant Bhushan also wrote to the CBI director and filed a public interest petition in the Delhi High Court.
Bhushan cited documents like income tax returns and affidavits filed along with Singh’s nomination papers and alleged “dubious transactions” and investments involving large sums of money when he was Steel Minister at the Centre.
During the course of the enquiry, the agency also examined a letter by BJP leader Arun Jaitley levelling corruption allegations against Singh. Jaitley had written to then PM Manmohan Singh and marked a copy to the CBI director making various allegations of corruption against the Himachal CM including receipt of payoffs of over Rs 2 crore from a private steel firm during his tenure as Steel Minister.
It was alleged that Singh filed I-T returns for assessment year 2009-10, 2010-11 and 2011-12 showing agricultural income of Rs 7,35,000, Rs 15, 00,000 and Rs 25, 00,000 respectively, which is exempt under the I-T Act.
“In 2012, in order to explain the unaccounted money, Virbhadra Singh filed revised I-T returns for assessment year 2009-10, 2010-11 and 2011-12 showing revised agricultural income, showing an increase of 18 to 30 fold of income in the three years. The total increase in agricultural income amounted to Rs 6.10 crore,” Bhushan alleged in his petition in HC in November last year.
On December 1, 2010, the I-T department seized some documents from the office of Ispat Industries purportedly showing payments made to one “VBS”.
STC had referred the matter to CBI. Bhushan’s allegations were also clubbed with the PE.