The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Friday conducted searches at nearly a dozen premises across three States in connection with its money laundering probe against Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh.
The searches were carried out at different locations in Delhi, Mumbai and Kolkata on some premises of Singh’s and those named in the FIR registered recently by the agency here, official sources said.
The searches that began early on Friday also covered the premises of some business entities that allegedly received funds from associates of Singh.
ED filed the money laundering case against Singh under provisions of the Prevention of Money laundering Act (PMlA) after taking cognisance of a criminal FIR filed by the CBI in connection with the alleged corruption.
During the searches, the agency has gathered some relevant documents to carry forward its probe and pinpoint the “proceeds of crime “ allegedly channelled by Singh and his associates by using purported illegal means, the sources said.
Singh and his family members allegedly amassed disproportionate wealth to the tune of Rs 6.1 crore between 2009 and 2011 when he was the Union Minister of Steel.
CBI suspects that during the period between 2009 and 2011, Singh allegedly invested `6.1 crore in life insurance policies in his and family members’ names through an lIC agent, claiming this money to be his agricultural income.
Singh allegedly attempted to legitimise the same as agricultural income by filing revised Income-Tax returns in 2012.