CM seeks recusal of Justice Sanghi

R Sedhuraman

Legal Correspondent

New Delhi, December 5

Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh today pleaded for taking the disproportionate assets (DA) case against him from Delhi High Court judge Justice Vipin Sanghi.

Singh has made the plea in a letter to Chief Justice of India TS Thakur and Delhi HC Chief Justice G Rohini. The CM’s request comes in the wake of a similar letter by his co-accused and insurance agent Anand Chauhan sent to the two CJs from Tihar Jail here where he has been lodged.

In his letter, Chauhan pleaded that Justice Sanghi should not hear the case as he was a close relative of Attorney General Mukul Rohatgi who appeared against Singh in the case in the Supreme Court. Chauhan had also wondered as to why Singh was not seeking recusal of Justice Sanghi in view of this.

“I also will make a humble prayer that keeping in view the bona fide doubts raised by my co-accused Anand Chauhan which I am also in given facts and circumstances affirming, the matter may be directed to be listed before some other Judge in Delhi High Court other than Justice Sanghi,” Singh said in his letter.

“Till now I was exercising restraint keeping in view the position I am holding in the society but when co-accused is virtually challenging my action to keep mum in the given situation declaring it to be my act siding with injustice, I will humbly pray that let this matter be decided by any other Judge so that there is no occasion to harbour any bona fide doubt by any one,” the CM said.

The CBI has approached the Delhi HC seeking permission to file a chargesheet against Singh for allegedly accumulating unaccounted wealth amounting to about Rs 6 crore during the assessment period 2009-12 when he was the Union Steel Minister. Singh has been booked under Section 13(1)(e) of the Prevention of Corruption (PC) Act for purchase of insurance policies for Rs 6 crore using the undisclosed income.