Court rejects Virbhadra plea to quash FIR in graft case

Special Judge (anti-corruption) B L Soni observed that “the accused has no local standi to demand further investigation”. “The investigations in the case are already complete,” the court remarked and listed the case for next hearing on March 26 for consideration of the charges.

Earlier,the High Court had twice rejected Virbhadra’s plea to quash the FIR filed by the BJP government in 2009. He had also sought transfer of the investigations to the CBI,a plea not accepted by the court.

The case against Virbhadra,a former chief minister,was lodged on the basis of an audio CD released by former minister Vijai Singh Mankotia in 2007 during Hamirpur parliamentary byelection. At that time,Virbhadra was the chief minister.

In the CD,Virbhadra was heard purportedly referring to some monetary transactions while talking on the phone to an IAS officer. The CD also contained voices of his wife and some industrialists.

The Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau had filed the chargesheet against Virbhadra and his wife in October 2010.