HC tells CM’s wife to appear before ED

New Delhi, July 29

The Delhi High Court today asked Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh’s wife to appear before the Enforcement Directorate (ED) for questioning in connection with a money laundering case.

Justice Vipin Sanghi asked Pratibha Singh to cooperate with the ED when she appears before it on August 9.

The court, however, asked the ED not to take any coercive step against her on August 9 and in case it wanted to further question her, it would have to give reasons for it.

“In case the ED wants to further question her (Pratibha Singh), they will have to file a status report before it on August 24 and inform about the instances on basis of which they further want to interrogate her,” the court said.Pratibha had not appeared before the ED yesterday and has been asked to remain present on August 9.The court’s order came on her plea seeking a direction to the ED not to take any coercive step against her in the wake of the arrest of an LIC agent in the case.

Senior advocate Kapil Sibal, appearing for the CM’s wife, told the court that she had no problem in joining the questioning by the ED, but the agency should ensure that it would not take any coercive step against her.

Additional Solicitor General (ASG) Sanjay Jain said he was not in a position to give an undertaking that she would not be arrested as at the time of interrogation it would be up to the officer concerned to decide whether her further custody was required.

He, however, said: “On August 9, the agency will not take any such step and will file a status report with regard to the interrogation that takes place that day.”

The ASG said in case, any further appearance or her custody was required, it would be indicated in the status report.

The court agreed with the ASG and said the agency should not take any coercive step.Besides his wife, Virbhadra has also moved the court seeking protection from arrest in the case. However, he has not been summoned by the ED so far. — PTI

Virbhadra’s plea

• In his plea, Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh said he apprehended that the ED might arrest him on the basis of an alleged disclosure statement of insurance agent Anand Chauhan, who was recently arrested from Chandigarh in connection with the case.
• Chauhan was arrested by the ED under provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) as he was allegedly not cooperating with the investigating officer of the case.
• The probe agency had alleged that Virbhadra, while serving as the Union Steel Minister, had invested huge amounts in purchasing LIC policies in his and his family members’ name through Chauhan.
• The ED had earlier termed as “premature” the plea filed by Virbhadra and others seeking quashing of the money laundering proceedings.
• It had said the plea was “not maintainable” as the inquiry into the matter was in a preliminary stage.
• The ED had last year lodged the case against Virbhadra and others under the PMLA after taking cognisance of a criminal complaint filed by CBI in this regard.
• The CBI had lodged a separate disproportionate assets case against him and others alleging that he and his family had amassed wealth to the tune of Rs 6.1 crore between 2009 and 2011, disproportionate to his known sources of income. — PTI