Govt acts to meet HVC deadline
ED to probe charges against Virbhadra
From S.P. Sharma
Tribune News Service

SHIMLA, Nov 6 — Acting at a feverish pitch to meet today's deadline fixed by the Himachal Vikas Congress (HVC) chief, Mr Sukh Ram, for the ruling BJP to order a CBI probe against the former Chief Minister, Mr Virbhadra Singh, the state government asked the Enforcement Department (ED) to inquire into the allegations of violation of certain land ceiling laws and grant of "undue" favours to a cement factory during the Congress regime.

Highly placed sources said the Chief Minister, Mr P. K. Dhumal, had yesterday asked his aides to examine the complaints listed in the "charge sheet" prepared by the HVC against Mr Virbhadra Singh. The allegations include payment of commission to various private companies for raising loans for the previous Congress government.

A high-level meeting was held here last evening under the chairmanship of the Chief Secretary, Mr O. P. Yadav, to find a way out of the crisis by asking the Enforcement Department to inquire into these allegations. The Law Secretary, the Secretary (Home) and the Additional Director-General of Police (Enforcement) were among those who reportedly attended the meeting.

The sources said the enforcement officers pointed out some legal hurdles of inquiring into the allegations, which has already been adjudicated on by the lok ayukata and various other courts. These could be reopened only if the earlier orders were quashed by a higher court.

It is learnt that the enforcement sleuths are proceeding cautiously to avoid facing contempt proceedings by blindly initiating an inquiry into these complaints, which might have been politically levelled by the HVC.

The sources said the Enforcement Department might have been asked to look into these complaints just to find a way out of the crisis that has been created with Mr Sukh Ram.

Mr Sukh Ram himself was in his native village of Kotli in Mandi district as the deadline for the CBI inquiry expired today. He had threatened that all HVC ministers would resign if Mr Dhumal did not order CBI inquiry.

Mr Dhumal is scheduled to visit Mandi tomorrow in connection with a function, when he is also expected to meet Mr Sukh Ram.

The two alliance partners are learnt to have already discussed the issue earlier this week.

Mr Dhumal had submitted the "charge sheet" to the Prime Minister, Mr Atal Behari Vajpayee, in August.

On the other hand, Mr Virbhadra Singh has claimed that most of the complaints listed in the 'charge sheet' of the HVC have already been decided by various courts and the lok ayukata. These were again being raked up just for 'maligning' him.

Twentysix Congress legislators have thrown their lot behind Mr Virbhadra Singh by jointly alleging that the "power hungry" Sukh Ram was "blatantly blackmailing" Mr Dhumal for the CBI enquiry.