Virbhadra to appear before court in graft case
November 26th, 2010 - 2:09 pm ICT by IANS
Shimla, Nov 26 (IANS) Union Steel Minister Virbhadra Singh and his wife Pratibha Singh would be appearing before a trial court Nov 30 in connection with a corruption case against them, a lawyer said Friday.
Special Judge B.L. Soni had issued a notice to the couple Oct 23 in the corruption case registered against them by the state’s vigilance and anti-corruption bureau and asked them to be present in court Nov 27 for the trial.
The case has been adjourned since the judge is travelling, said special public prosecutor Jiwan Lal Sharma.
“Since the judge is attending a judicial workshop at Palampur Nov 27 and 28, he has adjourned all the cases. Virbhadra Singh’s case that was earlier listed for Nov 27 would now be heard Nov 30,” Sharma told IANS.
Virbhadra Singh, who was the chief minister five times earlier, is accused of misusing his official position when he was chief minister in 1989. The couple was booked Aug 3, 2009, on the basis of an audio CD released by his political adversary Vijai Singh Mankotia in 2007.
Virbhadra Singh was purportedly heard referring to some monetary transactions while talking on the phone to Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer Mahinder Lal, who is now deceased. It also contained the voices of Pratibha Singh and some industrialists.
The trial court while issuing the notice to them observed that “there are sufficient grounds to proceed against Virbhadra Singh and (his wife) Pratibha Singh (a former member of parliament) under the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988″.
The charge sheet against them was filed Oct 1, hours after the Himachal Pradesh High Court dismissed his petition to transfer the case against him to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).
The vigilance bureau quoted in its charge sheet payment of bribery by promoters of Gujarat Ambuja Cement and Mohan Meakin Ltd, a well-known brewery.
Virbhadra Singh, who has termed the registration of case as an act of political vendetta by Chief Minister Prem Kumar Dhumal, has said: “The CD case is pathetic example of political vendetta. Even during the last tenure (1998 to 2003), the Dhumal-led Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government made out false and fabricated cases against me. This is nothing but a gross misuse of official machinery.”
- Graft case: Virbhadra exempted from personal appearance - Dec 16, 2010
- Graft case: Shimla court summons Virbhadra Singh, wife (Lead) - Oct 23, 2010
- Virbhadra voice CD in a graft case played in court - May 31, 2012
- Graft case: Setback for Virbhadra Singh - Mar 13, 2012
- Virbhadra CD case: Witness moves court against prosecution - Apr 04, 2011
- Corruption case: Virbhadra Singh asked to appear in court - Oct 23, 2010
- Virbhadra graft case: Court reserves order - Jan 05, 2012
- Graft case: Virbhadra gets audio tape's copy - May 22, 2012
- Charge sheet filed against Virbhadra Singh in graft case (Second Lead) - Oct 01, 2010
- Court asks Virbhadra to file reply in graft case - Nov 04, 2011
- No conspiracy against Virbhadra, asserts Dhumal - Sep 06, 2010
- Charge sheet to be filed against Virbhadra (Lead) - Oct 01, 2010
- Court turns down Virbhadra's plea to transfer case to CBI (Lead) - Sep 03, 2010
- Himachal High Court turns down Virbhadra's plea - Sep 03, 2010
- Virbhadra Singh asked to reply to plea to cancel bail - May 01, 2011
Tags: central bureau of investigation, chief minister, corruption bureau, corruption case, graft case, gujarat ambuja cement, himachal pradesh, indian administrative service, industrialists, meakin, member of parliament, monetary transactions, palampur, political vendetta, prevention of corruption act, public prosecutor, soni, special judge, union steel, virbhadra singh