Thaindian News

Shimla, April 4 (IANS) The Himachal Pradesh High Court Monday issued a notice to the state government after one of the prime witnesses in the audio CD case against union Minister Virbhadra Singh told the court his statement recorded by the prosecution is a fake..

The notice was issued to the principal secretary (home) and investigating officer Daya Sagar by a division bench of Justice Kurian Joseph and Justice Sanjay Karol on the petition of witness Kapil Mohan, managing director of Mohan Meakin Ltd brewery, alleging that his statement recorded by the prosecution is false and forged.

He pleaded to the court to direct holding of an inquiry by the senior judicial authority.

The court directed both of them to file their replies and listed the matter for further hearing May 23.

A case against union Minister of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises Virbhadra Singh and his wife was registered under the Prevention of Corruption Act by the state’s vigilance and anti-corruption bureau Aug 3, 2008, after Prem Kumar Dhumal became chief minister in December 2007.

The case was registered on the basis of an audio CD released by his political adversary Vijai Singh Mankotia in 2007.

In the CD, Virbhadra Singh was purportedly heard referring to some monetary transactions on the phone with Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer Mahinder Lal, who is now dead. The CD also contained the voices of his wife and some industrialists.

Interestingly, another prosecution witness in the case, Prem Chand Jain, has already filed such a petition in the high court that his statements recorded by the prosecution in the case were false.

The corruption case against Virbhadra Singh and his wife Pratibha Singh is pending in a special trial court of Shimla.