CBI Files Chargesheet Against Himachal CM Virbhadra Singh, Wife in DA Case

New Delhi: In a disappointing turn of events for Himachal Pradesh chief minister Virbhadra Singh, CBI on Friday filed a chargesheet against the sitting CM, his wife, and others in the disproportionate assets case.

CM Virbhadra Singh had earlier filed a plea, demanding the Delhi High Court quash CBI's FIR against him. The FIR alleged that Virabhadra and his wife Pratibha Singh had allegedly amassed property worth Rs 6 crore when he served as Union Steel Minister.

However, Delhi HC dismissed the plea, paving the way for CBI to chargesheet CM Singh, his wife, and others.

Calling it a case of "political vendetta" against him while talking to the media after the dismissal of his plea, CM Singh said that he "anticipated the High Court decision".

"The plea was dismissed by a single judge. We will file an appeal again, he said, adding that they have the option of either going to the two-judge bench of the same court or to the Supreme Court.

The CBI had contended that the allegations against Singh in the case are "very serious" as a huge amount of money was involved and the state government has shown "over anxiety" in protecting him.

The agency had said it had jurisdiction to register and investigate the case in Delhi as the disproportionate assets were allegedly acquired by the Congress leader from the income generated here when he was a Union minister during UPA regime.

Singh had on October 1, 2015 got an interim order from the Himachal Pradesh High Court restraining the CBI from arresting, interrogating or filing a charge sheet in the case without the court's permission.

The matter was transferred by the Supreme Court to the Delhi High Court, which on April 6, 2016 had asked CBI not to arrest Singh and had directed him to join the probe.

On November 5, 2016, the apex court had transferred Singh's plea from Himachal Pradesh HC to Delhi HC, saying it was not expressing any opinion on the merits of the case, but "simply" transferring the petition "in interest of justice and to save the institution (judiciary) from any embarrassment".